On January 25, 2025, the Connecticut (CT) Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity, Representative Jillian Gilchrest, CT General Assembly Bi-Partisan Women’s Caucus, and the CT Coalition to End FGM/C held an event, just prior to the next legislative session, entitled Preventing FGM/C in Connecticut – Why Comprehensive Laws Matter.  

Special guests and co-hosts included Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz and the Governor’s Council on Women & Girls. The panel discussion that occurred during the event provided timely information and resources for legislators and their staff about FGM/C in the United States, as well as the need for comprehensive state laws to end the practice. 

Panelists shared their experiences and lessons they learned from legal reform processes in other states, which highlighted the important role of the law in changing social norms as well as protecting survivors, girls at risk, and society as a whole. The diverse panel of international, national, and local experts included women’s rights advocates, FGM/C service providers, and FGM/C survivors such as: 

Moderators:

• Rep. Jillian Gilcrest

• Steven Hernández

Panelists

• Siminesh Comollo, CT Coalition to End FGM/C

• Caitlin LeMay, The US End FGM/C Network 

• Zehra Patwa, Co-Founder and US Lead,  WeSpeakOut 

• Mariya Taher, Sahiyo: US

• Jill Thompson, Equality Now

To date, 41 US States have enacted laws prohibiting the practice of FGM/C. Connecticut is one of nine states that has not yet addressed this harmful practice. This event was held in partnership with Sahiyo U.S.ahiyo U.S., Equality Now, and, the US End FGM/C Network.S End FGM/C Network.

Watch a recording of the event here.

In support of passing a law on FGM/C, this February 6th - International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM/C, Governor Ned Lamont issued a Proclamation and Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz issued a Citation to commemorate the day.

We’re hosting our second hybrid-format Voices to End FGM/C Digital Storytelling Workshop this June 2024! Survivors and advocates will share their stories and learn to craft them as short videos. This participatory media process will be guided by facilitators from Sahiyo, Silence Speaks, and Asian Women’s Shelter. 

Online Workshop Dates: Tuesday May 28 and Tuesday June 4 (via Zoom). In-person Workshop Dates: Saturday and Sunday June 22 and 23. In-person Workshop Location: Washington, DC. 

Who Can Apply: Individuals living in the U.S. who have experienced FGM/C, as well as family members, friends, advocates, and others living in the U.S. who would like to share a story about the impact of FGM/C in their lives. 

Note: we are not able to accommodate overseas applicants in this session. Apply online today!  Application Deadline: April 15, 2024. 

TRAVEL SCHOLARSHIPS ARE AVAILABLE for those in need of financial support to attend the workshop! To learn more about the Voices workshop experience, watch our behind the scenes videos.

We are delighted to share insights from a training session hosted by Sahiyo in partnership with the San Francisco Domestic Violence Consortium (SF-DVC) on February 8, 2024. Our "FGC-101," training aimed to shed light on the complex issue of female genital cutting (FGC) and uplift the ongoing collaborative efforts between Sahiyo and AWS on expanding gender-based violence (GBV) services to support survivors of FGC. This training was delivered to 16 advocates and community-based attorneys from the San Francisco Bay area. 

Led by Sahiyo’s Executive Director, Mariya Taher, and T&TA Coordinator, Aries Nuño, and Orchid Pusey from the Asian Women’s Shelter the training provided a comprehensive overview of FGC, including its physical and psychological impacts, global and U.S. perspectives, effective strategies for supporting survivors.

These positive reflections from the participants underscored the importance of our collaborative efforts to address GBV and the value of providing informative and engaging educational experiences: 

"Thank you for your work! Looking forward to learning more and I appreciate AWS’s leadership on this matter."

 "Thank you for a super engaging presentation! I learned a lot." 

This initiative is part of our ongoing commitment to educate, engage, and empower advocates, enhancing their ability to offer crucial services to those affected by FGC. We extend our gratitude to the participants for their active engagement and to the San Francisco Domestic Violence Consortium for their partnership! 

For more training and technical assistance information contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

This past month Sahiyos co-founder and U.S. Executive Director, Mariya Taher participated in an episode of  Maitri’s, Between Friends Podcast. The episode focused on the taboos surrounding FGC and why speaking about the practice, both in public and community settings is vital to help end the practice. Maitri is an organization that supports South Asian women who have been through or are currently in situations of domestic violence. Over the years their work has expanded to include providing survivors with mental and legal support, creating training programs, and educating communities on the impacts of domestic violence. To learn more about Maitri’s work, click here.

Listen to Mariya’s episode here: 

YouTube

Spotify

SoundCloud Link

Date: March 27th 

Time: 10 AM PT/1 PM ET

Registration link: https://bit.ly/Voices23Screening 

On Wednesday, March 27th at 10 AM PT/1 PM ET, Sahiyo will host a screening of the newest Voices to End FGM/C videos, which were developed through Sahiyo, Asian Women’s Shelter, and SilenceSpeaks, with survivors of and advocates against female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). In addition to viewing these nine poignant stories, attendees will get the chance to hear from some of the storytellers themselves about their work and journey. 

“I hope that my story will be a clarion call for folks to help me bring to light the need for medical care for hundreds of thousands of women who need help locally, nationally, and globally.” 

• Doris Mukangu, Voices ‘23 Workshop Participant  

The Voices to End FGM/C Program is a digital storytelling project created by SilenceSpeaks and Sahiyo that aims to mobilize a critical mass of survivors and activists from across the globe. Voices to END FGM/C brings people together to share and heal from their experiences of FGM/C, to connect and grow as leaders in their own communities, and to create short videos calling for an end to this harmful practice.

With the support of the Wallace Global Fund and the Office for Victims of Crime, U.S. Department of Justice, Sahiyo is currently designing a guide to equip you with the necessary tools to host meaningful educational screenings using videos from the Voices program. In the guide there are discussion prompts, FGM/C FAQ sheets, and event planning tools aimed at fostering deep engagement and inspiring action.

For any questions, related to this upcoming guide or our Voices program, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  

Sahiyo U.S. is pleased to announce we’ve been awarded a grant alongside George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health, U.S. End FGM/C Network, and Global Woman PEACE Foundation from the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) to develop training programs, prevention strategies, and education on FGM/C.  

“FGM/C is an issue I’ve known about my entire life.This partnership between our various organizations highlights something as a child I never thought possible, a public recognition that FGM/C is a concern in the U.S.," said Mariya Taher, Executive Director of Sahiyo U.S.

“It is significant that the OVW is recognizing the importance of addressing FGM/C in the United States, and that understanding its intersections with other forms of violence against women is crucial,” said Caitlin LeMay, the Executive Director of the U.S. End FGM/C Network.

Read the full article here.