From July 26 - July 28th, 2024, Sahiyo U.S. will host its 8th annual Activists Retreat virtually via Zoom. Sahiyo hosts an annual Activist Retreats to bring anti-FGC activists together in a safe space and discuss the issue of female genital cutting, in an effort to collaboratively work towards ending the practice. Since 2018, over 85 people have participated in the retreat. Participants of the retreat are people speaking out against FGC — who work either publicly or anonymously — to raise community awareness about the need to end this harmful practice. Survivors, activists and anyone committed to ending FGC and interested in learning more about the issue is welcome to apply!
More about the retreat:
When: The virtual sessions will take place via Zoom on the following dates and times:
Friday, July 26 - 5 to 6:30 pm PST/ 8 to 9:30 pm EST (1.5 hrs)
Saturday, July 27 - 8 am to 1:00 pm PST/ 11 am to 4:00 pm EST (5 hrs)
Sunday, July 28 - 8 am to 10:30 am PST/ 11 am to 1:30 pm EST (2.5 hrs)
Who: The workshop is open to anyone residing in North America. Survivors of FGC, advocates working to end the practice and the general public interested in learning more about anti-FGC work are invited to attend. Previously relegated to South Asian populations only, this year the workshop will include members from Asian Pacific Islander communities as well as other groups.
What: The 3-day retreat will include educational sessions on FGC and anti-FGC advocacy workshops, speaker presentations, self-care activities for activists and discussions to educate participants about FGC and how to better advocate to bring an end to this practice. The retreat will aim to achieve the following goals:
- Create a support system among activists working to empower their community to abandon FGC
- Develop a safe space for individuals to learn more about the issue of FGC
- Build individuals' overall capacity to engage in activism, including sharing knowledge, resources, and networks
Following the workshop, Sahiyo will support activists in their anti-FGC efforts and help them sustain post-retreat engagement as part of our ongoing education and advocacy work to end FGM/C.
If you’re interested in taking part, please fill out Activists Retreat 2024 Interest Form by Saturday, June 1, 2024. We also invite you to visit our website to read reports from past retreats and learn more about the program.
If you have any questions and would like more information about the retreat, please feel free to reach out to Samman at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..