The Role of Men in Ending FGM in the Bohra Community

Reflecting on Sahiyo’s Healing as Activism Campaign

to honor the 16 Days of Activism to End Gender Based Violence. From November 25th to December 10th, we shared the stories of FGC survivors in their journey towards healing. We received 16 submissions from survivors located around the world, and they...

Sahiyo U.S. Activists Retreat: A reflection

talking to health and legal experts, reading everything I could find about FGM/C but, mostly, by listening to women’s stories of their khatna experiences and how they had been, and continue to be, affected long into adulthood. This new knowledge has...

My Sahiyo U.S. Activists Retreat Reflection

khatna, I could start the process of healing and perhaps give a voice to those of us who are not yet ready to share their stories. It was in this spirit that I attended the first ever Sahiyo Activists Retreat this past January. I wanted to meet the...

Last Day of Each One Reach One

and breaking silence on Khatna. And for this we have you to thank, for engaging with the campaign and sharing your stories and narratives with us! Sahiyo is overwhelmed by the response the campaign has garnered and we hope to hear more from you. Please...

Why the khatna conversation needs men's voices too

conversations happening are still dominated by women. It is of course amazing that so many women have started sharing their stories and thoughts. But we stilllive in a patriarchal context. Religious leaders are still men. Decision-makers in families are...

The U.S. Sahiyo retreat taught me there are different ways of being Bohri in America, and we can all end FGC

we are speaking about our mothers, our sisters, our friends, and ourselves. Everyone came to the retreat with powerful stories about when they first found out about this practice (often when they first underwent it) and what drove them to advocate...

My inner healing at Sahiyo's Activist Retreat in the U.S.

the room including myself, had shared hopes from the retreat; to find a space where we could openly share our FGM /khatna stories, to build a strong support group, to gain knowledge and tools to confidently speak up against FGM/khatna, and...

Female Genital Cutting Diaries: Addressing the chief in Mali

1 details her stumbling upon the aftermath of a cutting in Konza.] As the editorial intern at Sahiyo, I’ve been reading the stories of women who’ve been sharing their experiences with female genital cutting with the world. Each story is so important,...

Why I care about khatna: Reflections from the 2019 Sahiyo Activist Retreat

our homes, and our families. At the foundation of all of this is storytelling. Without survivors andallies sharing their stories, the topic remains shrouded in silence. My hope is that the retreat will help grow our community of activists. And that...

Sahiyo talks about female genital cutting at 3rd Annual Intersections of Violence conference

to work/respond to survivors. Most attendees had little experience with FGC and so throughout the presentation, survivor stories, from Sahiyo Stories project were shown to participants to help contextualize that FGC was an issue within the U.S....

International Digital Storytelling Conference 2023

a trauma-informed approach to engage survivors and activists in the U.S. and around the world in telling their personal stories of FGM/C. Voices supports storytellers in healing, connecting in solidarity, and growing as leaders in the movement calling...

Volunteer spotlight: Editorial Intern Cecilia Mwakenya

Corporation (KBC). Cecilia is passionate about women and girl's empowerment and has been telling human interest stories on human rights and education. She is excited to work with Sahiyo to help end female genital cutting among Asian and other...

Volunteer Spotlight: Programs Intern Hannah Manucal

to come forward, so if anyone is brave enough to share their story, the least I can do is listen. Having listened to the stories of several survivors from the Voices to End FGM/C Fall 2022 Cohort, I have realized howimportant it is to uplift their...

Applications open to join the 2023 Voices to End FGM/C hybrid digital storytelling workshop cohort!

brings individuals impacted by FGM/C together in order to heal, build community with one another, and create digital stories that can be used to support surivors and educate and prevent future generations form undergoing this harm. More about the...

Not allowing my story on female genital mutilation/cutting to be hidden anymore

it deserves. I have never talked about my experience before, and as someone who wants to help other people share their stories, I knew that it had to start with me. For that reason I found this workshop impactful and learned a lot for myself, including...

Volunteer Spotlight: Social Media and Communications Intern Xinge Lei

(FGC) for the first time like? Learning about FGC was extremely emotional for me. I cried while listening to the Voices stories on Youtube, and while I listened to any woman speak on this subject. I was aware of some cutting/mutilation practices, but I...

A Plan in Action: Reflecting on the 2023 Peer-to-Peer National ARP Convening

only to have it roll back down the moment he gets close to completion — neverending. This frustration was echoed in the stories of hardship shared by representatives of the various non-profit organizations seeking to serve and support their communities....

I Didn’t Dare Ask

exploratory exuberance. What have you learned or most enjoyed during the workshop and by meeting others who shared their stories? Hearing stories from others was an eye-opener. At the workshop, I became more aware that FGM/C can be like secondhand...

Exploring Diverse Narratives of FGM/C: A Virtual Voices Screening Event

the powerful storytelling of our Voices to End FGM/C program, we will showcase a collection of authentic and compelling stories, each offering a glimpse into the lived experiences, resilience, and courage of individuals impacted by FGM/C. Webinar...