When and how did you first get involved with Sahiyo?

My engagement with Sahiyo began through my interest in addressing gender-based violence, specifically focusing on FGM/C, within the public health sphere. My initial involvement as a volunteer was driven by the opportunity to apply my public health knowledge to Sahiyo's efforts. Over time, my increasing understanding of FGM/C's complexities and my desire for a more direct role in the organization's initiatives led me to the Training and Technical Assistance Coordinator position. This role has allowed me to use my skills more effectively, contributing to the development and execution of Sahiyo's mission.

What does your work with Sahiyo involve?

As the T&TA Coordinator, while my role involves creating training programs, I prioritize fostering relationships and building trust with community stakeholders to ensure our efforts are truly collaborative and responsive. Some of our training initiatives are structured to engage with healthcare professionals, gender-based violence (GBV) providers, and the local community each bringing unique challenges and perspectives to the table. Part of my work is also rooted in collaborating with a variety of partners, including NGOs, government entities, and directly with survivors, to enhance FGM/C prevention and raise awareness effectively. Additionally, I am involved with creating educational materials that serve both individuals and organizations, to provide comprehensive knowledge and practical tools, fostering an inclusive, culturally sensitive, and trauma-informed approach to addressing FGM/C. 

Finally, one key program I support is Sahiyo’s Voices to End FGM/C initiative (I participated in the mort recent Voices Conhort in 2023). This program brings together survivors, activists, and advocates from across the globe by bringing them together to share and heal from FGM/C, connect and grow as leaders, and create short videos sharing their experience with the practice. 

How has your involvement with Sahiyo impacted your life?

Working with Sahiyo has deepened my understanding of FGM/C as a complex issue that requires a comprehensive and collaborative approach to address effectively. Moving into a professional capacity within the organization has expanded my view of the challenges and possibilities in this field. It has underscored the importance of education, advocacy, and partnership in driving change. The resilience of survivors and the commitment of advocates continue to inspire my work. My hope is for Sahiyo's programs to be recognized as effective and empathetic resources in the global effort to end FGM/C.

What words of wisdom would you like to share with others who may be interested in supporting Sahiyo and the movement against FGC?

Respecting culture and tradition is crucial when addressing the practice of FGM/C. It is important to understand that FGM/C is often perpetuated by cultural and societal attitudes and is deeply rooted in the beliefs and traditions of communities that practice it. As an outsider to the practice, a judgmental approach can alienate the very communities we hope to engage. It is essential to engage with communities in a respectful and culturally sensitive manner in order to work collaboratively and to create solutions that are sustainable and in line with their values and beliefs. By doing so, we can help to create lasting change and promote gender equality while respecting cultural diversity.

On International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, Equality Now — an NGO that advocates for the rights and protection of women and girls around the world — released the trailer for “The Beginning.” Written and directed by Sahiyo’s co-founder Insia Dariwala, it’s the Asian continent’s first ever fiction film on Female Genital Mutilation/ Cutting (FGM/C). Inspired by real survivors who underwent FGM/C as little girls, the film highlights the trauma many struggled with, long after the cut.

Equality Now’s Global Leader, Divya Srinivasan, who worked with Insia on producing the film said, “We believe that this thought-provoking piece evocatively demonstrates the struggles faced by a woman holding the dual experiences of being a survivor herself, while also being a mother who is expected to play a major role in continuing the practice with future generations.”

She also writes, “Since survivors of FGM/C in India broke the silence about this practice over seven years ago, there have been great strides towards prevention and eradication of FGM/C. The issue of FGM/C in India has been recognised in the Supreme Court and at international bodies; and there is greater awareness on the patriarchal nature and harmful effects of the practice within practicing communities, particularly amongst the younger generation. 

However, we have a long way to go in the struggle to end FGM/C and we need more public conversations to change hearts and minds of all stakeholders, and prevention and response initiatives to ensure that we can move towards the goal of eradication.In partnership with Insia and Sahiyo, we hope that we can use this film to raise awareness on FGM/C in the country, particularly with young people; and to highlight FGM/C as a priority human rights issue that needs to be addressed by a range of stakeholders including the international community, medical associations, and CSOs working on ending gender-based violence in India."

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 Silence Speaks, 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  

Date: March 27th 

Time: 10 AM PT/1 PM ET

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

The Voices to End FGM/C Program is a digital storytelling project created by Silence Speaks 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.

If you are interested in hosting a screening ofVoices to End FGM/C videos with your own organization, with classmates, or with coworkers,  we are excited to announce the release of our Voices to End FGM/C Screening Guide. This is an in-depth resource with discussion questions, FAQs about FGM/C, and event planning templates. For any questions, related to this guide or our Voices program, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Starting March 6th, Sahiyo will be hosting its second annual Women's Day Celebration & Silent Auction with the goal of raising $15,000 in support of our work to end female genital cutting. The auction will open on Wednesday, March 6th and close on Sunday, March 10th. During this five-day fundraising event, we'll celebrate women's voices with comedy, video spotlights, stories, and entertainment. 

We’re incredibly grateful to all of our generous sponsors and supporters who have contributed some wonderful auction items. To uplift their work and thank them, we’re highlighting a few and why they support Sahiyo. And if you, too, would like to contribute in some way,  click here to donate auction items, money, or sponsor the event.

Today we’re profiling Arefa Cassoobhoy, who served as the chair of the Sahiyo U.S. advisory board in 2021-2023. She is also a board certified internal medicine physician and has held various senior editing and writing roles at the likes of Everyday Health, WebMD, and Medscape.

When and how did your involvement with Sahiyo first begin?

I discovered Sahiyo’s website online when I was researching FGC for my work at WebMD and Medscape back in 2018. There was an excellent media resource guide for reporting on FGC and I decided to reach out to speak with Mariya Taher, the U.S. Executive Director to learn more. She was incredibly helpful with the articles and videos and we stayed connected afterwards. We then met at the American Public Health Association national meeting and by 2019 I had joined Sahiyo’s U.S. Advisory Board.

Why did you decide to donate to Sahiyo’s silent auction? What does the event mean to you? 

I’ve worked with Mariya and her team for a few years now, and I have been impressed by how much work they do and also the breadth of their work. From educating healthcare professionals and providing support for survivors, [to] addressing legal issues, planning Activist Retreats and the Voices to End FGM/C workshops, it's a lot for a small organization. They’ve done a great job building on their successes so every year they’re expanding and fine tuning their projects. So I feel like the money is really well spent. The more they’re able to do, the better.

The silent auction and comedy show are a great way to expose more people through a fun event to Sahiyo’s work. I’m looking forward to having people over to my house and sharing with them information about FGC. 

What did you donate?

I’m committed to Sahiyo and their work and give a monthly recurring donation. Also this year I’ve bought a VIP watch party ticket for the Women’s Day Celebration comedy show. I’ve catered the meal from a local nonprofit and have invited guests who I hope will take advantage of the many great items listed in the silent auction portion of the celebration! Many have already donated generously. 

How would you like to see your donation help Sahiyo grow? 

I hope it helps in continuing to grow existing programs at Sahiyo. I really appreciate their multi pronged approach of educating healthcare providers so that appropriate care can be given to survivors in the U.S. And also how Sahiyo encourages conversations that allow people to talk about [FGC], especially the Voices to End FGM/C workshop. I think there's a lot of healing that happens there, and ultimately stopping FGC from happening to more people.

And with Mariya's leadership, and all the other staff members, they really listen to people. So when someone brings up an idea, they remember it, they make notes. and they follow up. They’ll create a project or a program on a small scale, and then refine it before expanding it.  That has given me a lot of confidence that the projects and programs that come out of Sahiyo are really thoughtful and scalable. They truly reflect what the audience is asking for and their needs and wants. They don't rush it. So I hope my donation helps Sahiyo as they are expanding.

Related:

• Read about our other inspiring supporters in our Silent Auction Donor Spotlight 2024 series 

We are planning our second hybrid-format Voices to End FGM/C Digital Storytelling Workshop! This workshop offers a global platform for FGM/C survivors and community members affected by it to share their stories.

When: 

• Online Workshop Dates: May 28 and June 4,  4-6 pm PT / 7-9 pm ET
• In-person Workshop Dates: June 22-23 in Washington, D.C. 9 am - 5 pm ET (travel days: June 21 and 24, 2024)

Who: Open to individuals in the U.S. impacted by FGM/C as well as allies passionate about raising awareness and ending the practice.

What: Learn to craft impactful videos using techniques and mediums like voice-overs, images, and short clips guided by facilitators from Sahiyo, SilenceSpeaks, and Asian Women’s Shelter.

Post-Workshop: Sahiyo will assist participants in sharing their videos publicly as part of our advocacy efforts to raise awareness. 

Apply by April 15, 2024 to be part of the ninth Voices to End FGM/C cohort!
For inquiries, contact Aries at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. You can also visit our website to learn more about the project and watch past workshop videos!

By Amie Kujabi

I am an FGM/C survivor. For the past two decades, my advocacy on FGM/C has been centered around other survivors and girls at risk—but never have I shared my story. A story that shaped the trajectory of my childhood and marked the beginning of a long…long…lonely self-awareness journey to an unknown destination.

I took a bold step and shared my story as an FGM/C survivor with people outside of my close-knit circle by giving testimony during an anti-FGM/C bill hearing with policymakers in Washington State. It occurred to me that there is a need for survivors to share their unique stories to raise awareness and encourage action-oriented commitments from different stakeholders. When the opportunity to participate in the digital storytelling workshop presented itself, I challenged myself to be part of the amplified voices. Voices that not only narrate similar stories about FGM/C but also give a human face to FGM/C. In our digital world,  people are moved not just by words, but also by actions and visual representation. Since FGM/C is not seldom talked about—a taboo in our communities—it was important for my story to be told in a captivating way, to change the narrative.

My digital story narrates the experiences I remember the most as a six-year-old girl who was taken to another country (Senegal) for FGM/C, under the disguise of spending summer break with my cousins and family. And so it happened: I was cut and introduced into “womanhood,” as they claimed. I later understood it as “vocational cutting” at the peak of my self-awareness journey as an adult and advocate. My story highlights the issues I faced—and I continue to struggle with. As a survivor, I struggled a lot, with my relationships growing up and in adulthood. Though this experience took me on an unknown journey, it landed me on the shores of “fighting for what is right”. That’s what propelled me into my work as a girl’s and women's rights advocate.

Everything I learned from the workshop was gold to me. I enjoyed all the sessions and the new skills I acquired in creating a digital story. From learning how to write a straight-to-the-point short story, creating and editing a digital story, being in a space with other survivors and allies, sharing our stories, and most importantly, finding support in each other. It made me feel seen and understood in my multifaceted emotions and struggles that the rest of the world may never see on a day-to-day basis. The workshop was an amazing experience, and I want more women (and others ) to be part of this great network. Together we can create more digital stories that amplify voices against this horrendous practice.

I want my story to captivate the attention of people from different walks of life. I hope that it will inspire survivors to share their stories, allies to render their support when and where it is needed, and even those on the other side of the table to finally resist this age-old tradition that harms girls. My hope is to see every state and nation have solid anti-FGM/C policies in place. I know for a fact that these laws concentrate on protecting girls at risk of being subjected to FGM/C, but I hope to see the implementation of policies that would support survivors of FGM/C as well.

I hope you will find the time to watch my short digital story. A story about a scar. A scar that my primary duty bearers believed was necessary to have in order to be labeled as the “purified” girl, for marriage, as opposed to being referred to as a “solimaa”, the uncut girl. A scar that will resemble a fresh wound for the rest of my life. Here I am today, after being silent for many years.

I now am not afraid to talk in public about stopping FGM/C. If there had been laws when I was a child, things would have been different. I was able to convince another family member to have her girls cut. And my mother is finally on board with me. But all I can think is that I failed you. I wish I didn’t have this scar. I wish you didn’t either. But we don’t have to be silent about it.

Amie Kujabi was born and raised in The Gambia, a small country in West Africa. She is very passionate about development issues, especially from a grassroots level, but also, about what development should entail at a global scale. Amie is a human rights advocate, as well as a champion for women and girls' rights and empowerment. She is also the co-founder of Think Young Women, a young women-led organization in The Gambia.

Amie is an FGM/C survivor and anti-FGM/C advocate currently residing in Washington State. As a member of the Washington Coalition to End FGM/C, Amie helped Washington become the 41st state to enact anti-FGM/C legislation. Amie is also a recent graduate of Global Development Studies and French and Francophone Studies and aspires to contribute immensely to the development of her community, state, and at the international level.