Including non-cis-women as FGM/C survivors

By Dena Igusti I wanted to be a part of this year's Voices to End FGM/C digital storytelling workshop so I could talk more about my experiences navigating being a non-binary survivor of FGM/C. Unfortunately, a lot of statistics and narratives...

Releasing my unspoken words

So, when I heard storytellers talk about their experience with female genital mutilaiton (FGM), I thought about my own. The Voices to End FGM/C digital Sstorytelling workshop helped me put into words a story I have been holding on to myself. I chose to...

Webinar reflection: Centring Community in FGM/C Behaviour Change Theory

The webinar will investigate the tension between social norms and FGC activism by bringing together a diverse array of voices. Participants will have the opportunity to be a part of the discussion on how we can all become better educated, and better...

Reflecting on the 5th Annual Activist Retreat for members of the Bohra Community

followed by an interactive storytelling session, with smaller break out groups, by StoryCenter’s Amy Hill (our partner in Voices to End FGM/C), which prompted much conversation and sharing of experiences. After each day’s session, we built in an...

Sahiyo volunteer spotlight: Development intern Avery Boudreau

community, nor am I a survivor, but there are many ways to support Sahiyo and create a critical mass of people and voices calling for the elimination of FGC. After reading posts from the#EachOneReachBhaiyo campaign, I realized it really can take a...

Upcoming webinar: Understanding Social Norms to End Female Genital Cutting

community social norms and the advocacy that occurs around ending FGC. This webinar will bring together a diverse array of voices and give participants the opportunity to be part of the discussion on how we can all become better educated, and better...

My experience is a tool to create social change

By Zahra Qaiyumi In the process of creating a video as part of the Voices to End FGC project, I was able to pull scattered thoughts and memories into a clear and concise picture. The workshop allowed me to contemplate the different aspects of my...

Stories of survival, strength, solidarity and sisterhood

though there are many survivors of FGM, the community hardly acknowledges its existence. The digital storytelling workshop Voices To End FGM created a platform for sharing and listening to the experiences of FGM survivors from across the globe. It...

FGC in the United States: How Americans can help end this practice 

with friends and family about FGC and what I have learned about it. This organization is amazing because survivor’s voices are encouraged and uplifted through storytelling, connection with community, and support. There is emphasis on women being able to...

How to have a dialogue: Storytelling & Conversations

a place of coercion or reluctance. Storytelling is an effective way to open dialogue or start a conversation about FGC. Voices to End FGM/C, a collaboration between Sahiyo and StoryCenter, is an example of survivors sharing their experiences to create...

Sahiyo’s Inaugural International Women’s Day Celebration & Silent Auction

open on Wednesday, March 8, 2023 and close on Sunday, March 12, 2023. During this 5-day event, we will celebrate women's voices with video spotlights, stories, and entertainment. Do you have an item you’d like to donate or would you like to participate...

Sahiyo leads training for Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners

and nationally, and an interactive discussion about best practices for providing healthcare to survivors utilizing the Voices to End FGM/C digital storytelling project. Participants were active in the discussion, recounting times when they encountered...

Volunteer spotlight: Editorial intern Urvashi Sharma

she has a keen interest in women’s health and feels excited and privileged to learn, raise awareness, and amplify the voices of women whose stories must be heard. What was your experience of learning about FGC for the first time like? I was fourteen and...

Sahiyo’s Book Club Holds Second Event In February 

DC. Through SLH LLC, we reach out to the underprivileged, just not in economic spheres but also to those women, who voices have been silenced. Shabnam is an award winning author of her memoir called A Fractured Life, which was published in the USA in...

Sahiyo U.S. Advisory Board spotlight: Nesha Abiraj

I continued to educate myself about FGC and did as much as I could with the platform I had to amplify survivor voices and the growing call to ban the practice. I attended most if not all of Sahiyo's webinars. I also enrolled and successfully completed a...

Sahiyo U.S. Advisory Board spotlight: Jo Keogh

ignored – issue. The resources and experience that Sahiyo has been able to bring to the table have been gamechangers: the Voices videos have been a particularly potent way to connect the abstract idea of what FGM/C is with the reality of survivor...

Sahiyo partners with GirlUp ESCP for virtual event

girls. This educational and informational event began with a PowerPoint presentation and a screening of a select few of the Voices to End FGM/C videos. These videos helped to give context and personal connection to the often overwhelming statistics...

Sahiyo team speaks at The Pre-Summit of#EndFGM Global Conference

individuals and communities to advocate for the abandonment of FGM/C. We believe that highlighting and amplifying the voices of survivors can be a powerful way to challenge FGM/C, the norms of silence and shame that often keep women from speaking out,...

Volunteer spotlight: Development intern Anaïs Furukawa

Anaïs' deep interest in giving a platform to voices that need to be heard and stories that need to be told led her to pursue and earn her B.A. in journalism at California State University, Northridge. Her love of storytelling, and passion for...

Research: The impact of integrating FGM/C within domestic violence support services