Bhaiyo: Male Allies
Launched on International Day for Zero Tolerance to FGC in February 2021, Bhaiyo is Sahiyo’s male allyship program. Meaning male friends or brothers in Bohra Gujarati, Bhaiyo is both a resource and an avenue for men to become involved in raising awareness of FGC.
History & Impact
The Bhaiyo program grew out of Sahiyo’s 2020 annual Activist Retreat which for the first time include male-identified activists.The participants voiced an interest in creating a program or support system for male allies who wanted to work on ending FGC, and from that interest, Bhaiyo was created. In this way, Bhaiyo grew organically from a community recognition that fostering male engagement in female genital cutting prevention required unique and gender-responsive programming to address the educational and activism needs of men.
Our Bhaiyo activities have included:
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Organized ‘Everyone’s Responsibility: Discussing The Role Male Allies Play in Preventing FGC’, an event inviting male allies from around the globe to share lessons learned and challenges in working to involve men in ending FGC.
- Initiating a public awareness campaign on Fathers Day to highlight the role fathers can play in ending FGC and encourage men to come together as allies in this movement
- Launching Each One, Reach Bhaiyo, a public awareness campaign that encourages advocates to speak to men on FGC in their communities.
Bhaiyo Press Release Download
Program Impact Report 2021-2022
The report spans the duration of the Bhaiyo program, from its creation in February 2021 through December 2022, and covers the challenges, lessons learned, and future paths for growth.