In December 2025, Sahiyo will celebrate its 10th anniversary, and we’re hosting a campaign to mark the occasion! Starting in July and running through December, we will highlight each of our programs, reflecting on our accomplishments, and planning for the future.
This month, we’re highlighting Sahiyo’s Community Education & Training and Technical Assistance Programs. The Community Education & Training and Technical Assistance Programs seek to provide culturally sensitive outreach education and methods, and survivor-centered trainings on care and support.
Below Huda Syyed, a Sahiyo volunteer, and Early Career Researcher with a PhD from Charles Darwin University, and advocate, reflects on her experience with the program.
By Huda Syyed, PhD
Why and how is Sahiyo’s work important?
To understand female genital cutting (FGC), and increase awareness about the harmful practice– it is imperative to know and hear women’s stories. Sahiyo provides a platform for women to share their experiences and thoughts about gendered treatment in society. Its inclusive work focuses on the challenges and perspectives of non-binary individuals and the trans community too.
I became interested in Sahiyo’s work before my PhD research because of its inclusivity. Sahiyo gave women from different communities a voice and visibility. I’ve found Sahiyo to be an open space for learning because the team and volunteers create a safe and compassionate environment to understand and discuss issues faced by women across different cultural contexts.
Being a volunteer
As a volunteer, I’ve had the chance to share and discuss my ideas surrounding FGC with Sahiyo team members. I’ve been provided with support through brainstorming sessions and catch-ups that have allowed me to write blogs about being a researcher and the dilemma of FGC in Pakistan.
I have also volunteered as an online presenter for Sahiyo’s training , “FGC 101 Training”. The training provided an understanding of FGC, its effects, and the need for increased awareness to curb this harmful practice. Sahiyo conducts regular training sessions to guide public health professionals on how to approach the topic of FGC with individuals who have undergone the harmful practice. More importantly, the sessions discuss the importance of contextually appropriate and culturally sensitive language when speaking about FGC with girls, women, or individuals.
Sahiyo’s outreach and training sessions are not only integral to raising awareness about FGC, but they also contribute towards social change. By reaching out to people, organisations, communities, and researchers, Sahiyo is creating space for much-needed conversations about bodily autonomy. I think in the next 10 years these efforts will culminate in a change of mindset and gradual social change wherein cultural customs that challenge bodily autonomy will be critically questioned.
A learning space for everyone
This year, I attended Sahiyo’s parallel event at CSW69 in New York. It was an amazing experience because I met Sahiyo team members whom I had been in touch with through online communication. The team members made me feel welcome and provided a sense of belonging.
After being an online volunteer for years, I was glad to be part of an in-person event where people from different communities and backgrounds shared their experiences and thoughts about FGC. The event raised awareness about the practice and highlighted the need to safeguard the bodily autonomy of young girls and/or individuals.
After the event, we had the chance to talk and mingle with like-minded people working on ending the harmful practice of FGC or raising awareness on similar issues such as forms of GBV. It was a memorable moment of solidarity and support.
My most important takeaway from being a part of Sahiyo is that communication and conversations can make a huge difference. During my time as a volunteer, Sahiyo has been openly communicative, responsive, and welcoming with volunteers. Whether it’s a query or a request for learning material, Sahiyo has always been active in helping volunteers learn and grow as professionals and people.
