‘Even Though I Was Impacted by Female Genital Cutting, I Knew Little About It’

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with many in the audience, breaking a long-held silence. Now, I feel much more empowered to encourage others to share their stories, to let go, and to continue advocating against FGM/C. I used to be nervous about sharing my story with other people, but...

Sahiyo in the Media

L'Oréal Paris Inducts Ten Extraordinary Changemakers into Its Signature Philanthropic Initiative, Women of Worth Sahiyo Stories/Voices to End FGM/C Washington State introduces new law to protect women and girls from female genital mutilation or cutting...

Voices Series: How I found purpose through survivor's stories

storytelling, Voices to End FGM/C enables those who have been affected by female genital mutilation/cutting to tell their stories through their own perspectives, in their own words. By Debasmita Dasgupta Working on this project has been life-changing....

Upcoming screening of the Fall 2022 Voices To End FGM/C digital stories 

Our latest stories from the 7th Voices to End FGM/C Digital Storytelling Workshop have been released! Sahiyo, StoryCenter, and Asian Women’s Shelter will be hosting a screening of these newest videos next month on May 9th. Along with viewing these...

Violated hopes: My struggle to report on Female Genital Cutting in Pakistan

By Hina Javed Country: Pakistan When sporting my journalistic hat, I tend to sniff out stories from unlikely sources, wherever they are hidden. I look out for news, dropping into places to see what is new. This time around, however, I wasn’t...

Sharing My Story of Female Genital Cutting with Other Survivors Comforted Me

Voices Series: Why silence is our enemy

storytelling, Voices to End FGM/C enables those who have been affected by female genital mutilation/cutting to tell their stories through their own perspectives, in their own words. By Jenny It was a five-hour drive for me to get to the Sahiyo...

Voices Series: We should all speak up against female genital cutting

storytelling, Voices to End FGM/C enables those who have been affected by female genital mutilation/cutting to tell their stories through their own perspectives, in their own words. By Hatim Amiji As a man, I found myself extremely nervous sitting in a...

Voices Series: How I got a whole new perspective on FGM/C

storytelling, Voices to End FGM/C enables those who have been affected by female genital mutilation/cutting to tell their stories through their own perspectives, in their own words. By Angela Peabody A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to do...

Annual Reports

women impacted by female genital cutting. Our Voices to End FGM/C project alone saw the creation of 37 new original digital stories stories. Running since 2017, the program involves survivors coming together to heal from their FGC experiences and create...

U.S. Sahiyo Board Member Spotlight: A. Renee Bergstrom, EdD

Although most Christian denominations do not condone FGM/C, we hope to reach Christian readers from churches that do. Our stories may help others have the courage to speak. Christians need to face the damage done by misinterpreting Biblical passages in...

You mean it’s not supposed to hurt when I pee?

a sense of the process of storytelling from a survivor’s and advocate's perspective. I am keeping in my heart hundreds of stories that survivors from my community have shared with me. What story did you choose to tell and create into a digital story? I...

Reflecting on Virtual and In-Person Sessions for Voices to End FGM/C Workshop 2024

over 80 survivors, advocates, and community members in sessions designed to empower participants to share their personal stories and experiences with FGC. This year's workshop was held in a hybrid format, starting with two virtual sessions on May 28 and...

The forgotten history of female genital cutting in the United States

from impacted communities. Survivors of FGC play a crucial role in the movement to end the practice. By sharing their stories, survivors help to humanize the issue and bring attention to the physical and psychological trauma caused by FGC. Their voices...

Voices to End FGM/C 2024 Cohort Video Screening

with Asian Women’s Shelter and Silence Speaks – will host a screening of the newest set of Voices to End FGM/C digital stories, created by survivors of and advocates working to end female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). In addition to viewing these...

My Journey to Advocacy

my excitement about the in-person workshop continued to grow. After hearing these women bravely open up and tell us their stories of being cut, I gained the courage to travel with them on this storytelling journey as a supporter, advocate, and more...

On My Own Terms

of sustaining the law. What have you learned or most enjoyed during the workshop and by meeting others who shared their stories? What I enjoyed the most about the workshop was the safe space created for us. This was particularly important to me because,...

The Washington Coalition to End Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting Interview Series: Amie Kujabi

also boosts the importance of why certain policies or actions need to be taken." By putting a face to the issue, survivor’s stories help lawmakers and the public understand that FGC is not just a theoretical problem but a real threat affecting lives in...

To cut or not to cut? 10 Bohra stories to set off a debate on khatna

exactly was done; others said they must maintain silence about it because of the pressures of society. Here are some of the stories that emerged from a series of informal interviews I conducted with Bohra women in the past few years: She was circumcised...