We are pleased to announce the launch of Sahiyo’s Global Ambassador Program, an initiative designed to cultivate a robust community committed to gender justice in support of Sahiyo’s mission. Our Ambassadors are motivated, dedicated individuals who can champion the organization’s mission and elevate awareness about female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) both in their local communities and across the globe. Ambassadors are involved in numerous operations at Sahiyo, including event participation, communications promotion, public speaking, and community outreach.
To initiate the program, four Global Ambassadors have joined Sahiyo! Throughout the years these individuals have made a significant impact towards addressing FGM/C in communities around the world through their tireless advocacy and activism:
Saza Faradilla
Saza Faradilla is a co-founder of End Female Genital Cutting Singapore, which envisions a world where FGM/C is obsolete. She raises awareness on social media and on the ground, and participates in local and international lobbying at the United Nations to bring attention to the fact that FGM/C is a pressing concern in Asia. She is also currently completing a Master’s in Human Rights and Democratisation at Mahidol University and Universities Gadjahmada in Southeast Asia where she is researching on Indonesia’s ban on FGM/C. Saza’s extensive experience working with communities that continue FGM/C in Singapore and Asia will be critical when engaging and educating other FGM/C impacted communites as a Sahiyo Global Ambassador.
Aarefa Johari
Aarefa Johari is an award-winning journalist, feminist activist, and amateur violinist based in Mumbai, India. Since 2009, she has worked with leading Indian publications, including Scroll.in and Hindustan Times, reporting on gender, labour, human rights, urban development, communities, and culture. She currently leads communications for a philanthropic foundation. Aarefa has been publicly speaking out against female genital cutting since 2011, campaigning for an end to FGC both within and beyond the Dawoodi Bohra community to which she belongs. One of the original five cofounders of Sahiyo, and formerly a member of Sahiyo’s Advisory Board, in her new role as a Global Ambassador, Aarefa will help spread Sahiyo’s mission around the world with her incredible journalistic skills.
Huda Syyed
Dr Huda Syyed is an interdisciplinary researcher and educator in Higher Education with learnings in gender-based violence, international relations, culture, and the context of women’s bodies and female genital mutilation/cutting. She completed her PhD at Charles Darwin University, where she used a qualitative methodology to provide an understanding of FGM/C in a Pakistani context. She also holds a Master’s degree in International Relations from QueenMary University of London and a Bachelor’s from the University of Karachi. She commits her time and ethics to working with organisations and academics for community-based solutions. Huda’s learning resource, published in 2025 by Sage Research Methods, is titled “How to Conduct Intersectional Feminist Research with Sensitive Data in a Precarious Setting”. She also authored a guide about thinking outside the binaries, “Beyond the Ethics Board: How to Navigate Messy Moments, Ethical Reflections, and Uncertainty When Communicating With Participants”. As the founder of Sahara Sisters Collective, she believes in contributing to the community through conversations, mentoring and collective support. Currently, her work focuses on the importance of context, care, and compassion when communicating with communities and researching FGC. Huda’s contextual understanding and research skills will serve her well as a Global Ambassador, developing solutions for ending FGM/C worldwide.
Catherine Cox
Catherine Cox is a human rights and women’s rights advocate with experience in policy, research, and frontline prevention. Her work centers on empowering women, girls, and migrant communities through trauma-informed, survivor-centered approaches. With experience across the U.S., UK, and globally, she has led advocacy campaigns, policy initiatives, and frontline programs addressing gender-based violence, refugee rights, and legal advocacy. Catherine graduated with a Master of Arts in Human Rights Law at SOAS University of London in. She spent nearly three years working with Sahiyo: United Against Female Genital Cutting, facilitating FGM/C prevention work across the United States. She has been recognized with numerous honors, including the Simmons Alumni Academic Achievement Award, The Dag Hammarskjöld Award, The James P. Warburg Award, and was a recipient of the Barbara Lee Foundation Fellowship. She now works with the London Women and Girls Network and is passionate about mainstreaming FGM/C within the larger GBV/VAWG feild. In her work as a Sahiyo Global Ambassador, she hopes to continue to uplift the issue of FGM/C within the larger GBV/VAWG sector and spread Sahiyo’s mission across the UK!
Interested in becoming a Global Ambassador? Email us at info@sahiyo.org for more information.
