On December 6th, Sahiyo and Tight Lipped co-hosted an empowering webinar titled, "Pain, Stigma, and Sexual Health: Healing Through Storytelling.” The event shed light on the different aspects of healing through candid and intimate accounts from our speakers.
Each speaker fearlessly shared their personal narratives, revealing the complexities of navigating chronic vulvovaginal and pelvic pain conditions and the intricacies of relationships with healthcare providers, partners, and broader societal stigmas. Notably, one of the speakers, a women’s rights activist, mentioned how her personal health experiences led her to channel her energy toward advocating to end the practice of FGC in India, bringing an important angle to our conversation around sexual health.
Heartfelt moments emerged in this virtual space, as attendees expressed gratitude for the safe and inclusive environment created by the speakers and moderators. Sentiments such as "Your story makes me feel less alone" and “This was very helpful and feels so good to hear others” really underscored the significance of creating a space for shared narratives and discussions.
A sincere thank you to everyone who contributed to making this webinar a deeply enriching and supportive experience.Your openness, engagement, and willingness to embrace these conversations helps us foster connections and understanding.
In October 2023, Sahiyo’s Community Engagement Coordinator Samman Masud as well as long-time Sahiyo volunteer and Activists Retreat planning committee member Umme Kulsoom Arif attended the 2023 Peer-to-Peer National American Rescue Plan (ARP) Convening in Washington D.C.
The three-day convention welcomed representatives from over 40 non-profit organizations throughout the U.S. to join other grantees of the ARP Support for Survivors Program. Sahiyo U.S. was awarded as one of the subgrantees in April 2023 to build out its promising Activists Retreat program. A sub-grant under the 2021 American Rescue Plan Grant, the ARP Support for Survivors Program caters to culturally-specific, community-based projects for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault from Asian and Pacific Islander (API) Communities in the U.S. and the Pacific.
Leadership from various organizations led plenary sessions to address accomplishments and challenges involved in survivor-centered relief work for under-served and underrepresented communities of color impacted by gender-based violence. In addition to attending presentations and workshops, Sahiyo representatives received opportunities to network with other organizations through a variety of events including a cultural evening, an interactive Indian dance performance, a Paraguayan bottle dance, and a Native American closing ceremony to conclude the gathering.
“The ARP convention was an eye-opening experience. I listened to speakers from the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center, the Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence, SCESA, and Ujima, among many others. I understood the impact of investment in organizations that seek to address the very unique needs of communities of color impacted by gender-based violence. Already vulnerable due to the intersecting systems of violence and power structures that continue to marginalize communities of color in the U.S., survivors often need culturally sensitive approaches to address domestic violence, sexual abuse, and female genital cutting (FGC). To hear the accomplishments and challenges of groups engaged in this work revealed the potential of grassroots level advocacy and community-led organizations. While there is a lot of work to be done in the gender-based violence space, the feminist solidarity I saw at the convention gave me immense hope about what this growing network can achieve: a future free from violence for all people.” -Samman Masud
On November 21st, Sahiyo’s Research Coordinator, Rachel Wine, and Training and Technical Assistance Coordinator, Aries Nuño, presented findings from the first stage of Sahiyo’s Critical Intersections Research Project to The Girl Generation. The findings, published in the Examining the Current State of Critical Intersections: Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting and Social Oppressions report in October, were derived from a scoping review on the topic of intersectionality. More specifically, this report explores connections between the anti-female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) sphere and other social justice movements, as well as the complex identities of survivors and activists, through an array of literature such as peer-reviewed literature, editorials, opinion pieces, reviews, and social media communications.
The presentation shared background information on the Critical Intersections Research Project, tracing its roots back to Sahiyo’s 2021 public webinar titled Critical Intersections: Anti-Racism and Female Genital Cutting (FGC). Additionally, the presentationexplored the seven core themes derived from our scoping review: Religion, Race, Bodily Autonomy, Queer Gender & Sexuality, Feminism, Law & Policy, and Climate Change, highlighting how they intersect with FGM/C. Lastly, Aries and Rachel detailed the next steps for the project, including the publication of two reports on original mixed-methods research, expected in 2024.
The Sahiyo team was thrilled to be met with questions from The Girl Generation about the various core themes derived from the research, as well as some findings to be shared in the upcoming reports. Many thanks to Esmael Omar for helping make this opportunity a reality!
If you or your organization are interested in hosting a presentation on Sahiyo’s Critical Intersections Research Project, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.
In September 2023, activists, survivors of female genital cutting (FGC), and community members from the Bohra community came from all over the U.S. to gather in-person at Sahiyo’s 6th annual Activists Retreat. This three-day affair, in Atlanta, Georgia, brought together individuals belonging to the Bohra community to deepen relationships with one another, increase knowledge on FGC, and gain tools on how to advocate against FGC. This year, as in the past, the Retreat was filled with presentations, educational videos, group discussions, action planning sessions, and self-care activities.
During the Retreat, survivors and community members were able to reflect on their personal experiences and connection with FGC in a safe and supportive environment, explore advocacy strategies, and discuss challenges they face in trying to discuss FGC.
Having recently joined Sahiyo in August 2023 as their Community Engagement Coordinator, this was my first time attending the Activists Retreat. Although I assisted Sahiyo staff and volunteers to prepare educational materials in the weeks leading up to the retreat, I arrived in Atlanta not knowing what to expect from the attendees at the retreat.
To say that the three days I spent with other activists in Atlanta were humbling and inspiring would be an understatement. While I had read academic papers and participated in discussions about FGC in class settings during graduate school, I had little knowledge about the prevalence of FGC within Bohra diaspora communities in the U.S -- something I developed an in-depth understanding of from the presentations and survivor testimonies at the retreat. Listening to survivors who were Bohra recount their experiences with FGC, and other Bohra activists at the retreat reaffirmed to me the significance of community-led movements. I noticed that the activists, from various age groups and diverse personal and professional backgrounds were able to comfortably share their experiences of FGC and anti-FGC activism in a safe space–one that was void of ‘othering’ or Islamophobic narratives that are often invoked by human rights organizations when communities of color discuss gender-based violence.
It was promising to see that the activists, despite their personal and professional commitments, took out time to be with other like-minded individuals to learn, and restrategize how to best address FGC within their communities to achieve lasting results. Together, we participated in workshops, engaged in difficult but important conversations, which were followed by self-care activities like journaling exercises or yoga at the patio that allowed us to unwind and relax.
We concluded this year’s Activists Retreat with individualized and group action plans to improve anti-FGC advocacy efforts and left with renewed commitments for our cause. As Sahiyo develops our Activists Retreat program in the future we hope to expand this program to other communities impacted by FGC.
We’re thrilled to share an exciting update from our Voices to End FGM/C project - our NEW podcast!
Since 2017, this project has brought together 70 storytellers from 20+ countries. While they crafted powerful short videos during our workshops, so much of their narratives remained unexplored. If you’ve always wanted to know more about FGM/C, or if you’re wondering why, as a feminist or social justice activist, you should care about the topic, tune in now.
Starting an organization is by no means an easy feat, even when someone is passionate about a topic, there will always be stumbles along the way to developing an organization. These falls of Mariya Taher, cofounder of Sahiyo, are what led her to look for opportunities for support, like with the Valor LEAP fellowship program. The LEAP program is designed to provide an intensive, interactive training and practicum for leaders of color in the anti-violence field.
With encouragement from the LEAP program, Mariya organized this webinar on November 13th to support others who have ideas and interests in starting a social justice-oriented organization. Founders from across the VALOR LEAP Cohorts, including Strong Oak Lefebvre, Sanjana Khan, Tonjie Reese, and April Barbosa joined Mariya for a discussion on what led them to found their organizations and the lessons, challenges, and successes that they have encountered along the way.
As 2023 comes to an end, we want to take a moment to thank you for all your kindness and support. We’ve made great progress educating communities on the harms of female genital cutting (FGC) and supporting survivors to heal.
When you make a donation to Sahiyo, you’re committing to support our mission to empower Asian and other communities to end FGC. You help create positive social change through dialogue, education, and collaboration based on community involvement.
As part of Sahiyo’s long-standing collaboration with the Asian Women's Shelter (AWS), a training session was held on October 28th to empower incoming volunteers. The training aimed to equip AWS’s dedicated volunteers with essential knowledge and foundational skills for understanding the pressing issue of female genital cutting (FGC), both globally and within their communities in the United States.
The training was not about transforming volunteers into experts, but rather about creating a safe and nurturing space for learning and dialogue; Sahiyo and AWS recognize the importance of both fostering an environment where volunteers feel encouraged to learn more about FGC, and providing them with resources to continue the conversation in their communities.
Throughout the presentation, an atmosphere of open dialogue prevailed. Volunteers actively engaged in the session, asking numerous questions and reflecting on the content. This dynamic exchange of ideas and information is crucial in breaking the silence that often shrouds FGC. By asking questions and reflecting on the material, the volunteers are taking first steps in becoming advocates for survivors and being able to raise awareness in their communities.
The partnership between Sahiyo and AWS is not only about knowledge transfer, but also about building a strong foundation of empathy, understanding, and support. We believe in the power of collective learning and collaboration, and will continue our commitment to empowering voices, strengthening communities, and ending the cycle of silence surrounding FGC.
