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Bhaiyo: Male Allies

Bhaiyo: Male Allies

Sahiyo’s Bhaiyo or Male Allyship program was first launched in February 6th, 2021, on International Day for Zero Tolerance of Female Genital Cutting (FGC). In Bohra Gujarati, Bhaiyo means male friends or brothers. To Sahiyo, it also means a resource and avenue for men to become involved in raising awareness on FGC, and working towards supporting survivors and prevention for future generations.

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History & Impact

The idea for Bhaiyo first came about during Sahiyo’s 2020 Annual Activist Retreat in which male-identifiying participants took part for the first time.These participants voiced their interest in creating a program aimed at supporting male-identifying individuals to work to end FGC. Thus, Bhaiyo was created. Thus Bhaiyo grew from community-recognition that there was a need for gender-responsive programming that supported the education of male allies.

Our Bhaiyo activities have included:

‘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.

A public awareness campaign on Father’s Day to highlight the role fathers can play in ending FGC and encourage men to come together as allies in this movement
Each One, Reach Bhaiyo, a public awareness campaign that encourages advocates to speak to men on FGC in their communities.

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

Webinar on Community Engagement

In honor of Father’s Day 2024, Bhaiyo launched a month-long public awareness campaign to uplift the importance of male voices and allies in ending FGC. Community members shared how they raised the topic of FGC in conversation with men in their lives. Visit our blog to learn more about one of our community member’s experience in speaking with their father.

“To my surprise, he expressed genuine concern for the well-being of women and girls affected by FGC, acknowledging the need for collective action to end this form of gender-based violence. This, in a sense, marked the beginning of a journey towards greater awareness and empathy. My father may not have fully grasped the complexities of gender inequality overnight, but our dialogue opened the door to ongoing discussions and reflection that we may want to explore in the future.” – Blog post by Sharlon Bolos

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