Register Today: https://bit.ly/AQuietViolence 

Female genital cutting (FGC) is a form of gender-based violence that is often undermined by harmful gendered social norms. Whether done for marriageability, cleanliness, purity, or a variety of other reasons – the practice of FGC is often tied to socially ascribed standards of ‘womanhood’. 

Despite being seeped in highly binary gender norms, not all who are survivors of FGC identify with cis-heterosexual womanhood; not every survivor is a woman. As non-binary anti-FGC activist Dena Igusti said in an article for Womanly, “The quiet violence of FGM is that survivors forever bear the burden of being associated only with cis-womanhood.” In fact,the language surrounding anti-FGC advocacy and programing often centers on the needs, experiences, and terminology most associated with cisgender and heterosexual women. Furthermore, anti-FGC laws in the United States are increasingly being weaponized against trans communities to deny them gender-affirming healthcare. 

As growing conversations around the world have sought to address the unique needs of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) communities, the question remains as to how to meet the needs of LGBTQ+ survivors of FGC. On June 23rd, 2022 at 10 am EST, Sahiyo will be hosting,“A Quiet Violence: Navigating Female Genital Cutting as an LGBTQ+ Survivor” in honor of Pride month. This webinar will bring together LGBTQ+ identifying survivors of FGC and other LGBTQ+ activists to discuss their experiences navigating FGC alongside their gender identity and sexuality – as well as thoughts on how anti-FGC advocacy organizations can become better at meeting the needs of LGBTQ+ survivors. 

The goal of this panel is to center and uplift the voices of LGBTQ+ FGC survivors whose identities and needs are too often pushed to the margin of conversations on FGC. This webinar will also seek to explore how anti-FGC bills across the world are being co-opted to deny trans and gender-nonconforming individuals their right to healthcare. For this event, we will be joined by three advocates who have an intimate knowledge of the topic and the challenges that we seek to address; Dena Igusti, Afiqa, and Dr. Marci Bowers.

Dena Igusti (they/them) is a queer non-binary Indonesian Muslim poet, playwright, filmmaker, producer, and FGC survivor & activist born and raised in Queens, New York. They are the author of CUT WOMAN (Game Over Books, 2020) and I NEED THIS TO NOT SWALLOW ME ALIVE (Gingerbug Press, 2021). They are the founder of Dearest Mearest. Their work has been featured in BOAAT Press, Peregrine Journal, and several other publications. Their work has been produced and performed at The Brooklyn Museum, The Apollo Theater, the 2018 Teen Vogue Summit, Players Theatre (SHARUM, 2019), Prelude Festival (Cut Woman, 2020), Center At West Park (CON DOUGH, 2021), The Tank (First Sight 2021 at LimeFest), and several other venues internationally. They are a Culture Push Associated Artist. They are currently a 2021 Playwright-in-Residence for Rogue Theater Festival. They are a 2022 Sundress Arts Resident, 2022 Best of the Net Nominee, 2021 Baldwin For The Arts Resident, 2021 Hook Arts Media Digital Connections Fellow, 2021 City Artist Corps, 2021 Stories Award Finalist, 2021 LMCC Governor’s Island Resident, 2021 Broadway For Racial Justice Inaugural Casting Directive Fellow, 2020 Seventh Wave Editorial Resident, 2020 Ars Nova Emerging Leaders Fellow, 2020 Spotify Sound Up cohort member, 2019 Player’s Theatre Resident Playwright, and 2018 NYC Youth Poet Laureate Ambassador. They are a Converse All Stars Artist and UN #TOGETHERBAND Global Ambassador.

Afiqa (she/they) is a Malay Muslim gender-nonconforming survivor of FGC in Singapore. They volunteer with End FGC Singapore, a community-led campaign aiming to empower Muslim communities in Singapore to make FGC obsolete through community re-education and community-based support. They participated in Sahiyo's 2022 Voices to End FGM/C workshop.

Dr. Bowers (she/her) is a pelvic and gynecologic surgeon with more than 32 years of’ experience. She is a University of Minnesota Medical School graduate, where she was class and student body president. After residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Washington, she practiced  in Seattle at the Polyclinic and Swedish Medical Center. Dr. Bowers left Seattle in 2003  to apprentice with the legendary Dr. Stanley Biber, considered the “Father of Transgender Surgery.” In 2010, Marci  relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area community of Burlingame, CA. She has now performed more than 2,250 primary MTF Vaginoplasties and 3,900 Gender Affirming Surgeries overall. In 2014, Dr. Bowers was hired to renew transgender surgery at Sheba Hospital in Tel Aviv, Israel. Subsequently, she initiated trans surgical education programs at Mt. Sinai (New York/2016), Denver Health (2018), the University of Toronto Women’s College Hospital (2019), Northwell Health (2020), and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (2020). The Mt. Sinai Transgender Surgical Fellowship is the first of its’ kind. Dr. Bowers performed WPATH’s first 2 “live surgery” vaginoplasties at Mt. Sinai in 2018 and 2019. Dr. Bowers is the WPATH President-elect and currently serves on the Trevor Project Board of Directors having served previous terms with GLAAD and the Transgender Law Center. Her gender diverse work has been highlighted by appearances on Oprah, CBS Sunday Morning, Discovery Health and the TLC reality series, “I am Jazz”. She was interviewed in 2021 by Leslie Stahl for the CBS News program 60 Minutes. Dr. Bowers is recognized as one of the 100 most influential LGBT people on the Guardian’s World Pride Power List and one of Huffington Post’s 50 Transgender Icons, was called the Transgender Surgery Rock Star (Denver Post), the Georgia O’keefe of Genitalia (unknown) and the Beyonce of Bottom Surgery (KPFK-FM North Hollywood).

On May 10th, Sahiyo presented at the 12th Annual Massachusetts Children’s Alliance Conference. In attendance were over 200 multidisciplinary child abuse professionals from across the state. Sahiyo cofounder, Mariya Taher, partnered with Mildrine Tulysse, a Massachusetts Pediatric Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, to provide information about the realities of female genital cutting (FGC) in the state of Massachusetts. The training they provided was done to increase education and awareness of FGC within the United States, provide resources to better understand how to give high-quality care to survivors; and empower frontline professionals to develop culturally competent and trauma-informed services and resources to survivors of FGC. 

Sahiyo’s dedicated staff have been working to expand our reach and build a close-knit community of survivors, advocates, and volunteers for years now, and as the world responds to COVID-19, digital communication has been a consistent thread tying us all together. We want to use our many digital platforms to create a positive, impactful space for everyone supporting our mission. 

Sahiyo’s Editorial Team is excited to announce our newest development: Zoom interviews! We can’t be together in person (for now at least), but this is one way to overcome the many challenges that create a sense of physical and emotional distance within the Sahiyo community. Our Team wants to connect with you to share your stories and your vision for what a world without female genital cutting could look like. 

So whether you know someone who has been affected by FGC, you’re a survivor, or you have something to say about the work to end FGC, we want to hear from you. Over Zoom, we’ll chat about your ideas and work together to build a blog post. This is designed to reduce the pressure on those eager to share their ideas, but are intimidated by the writing process.

For more details, please email us at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

On April 28th, Sahiyo was invited to take part in a panel discussion at the 2022 ABA International Law Section's Annual Conference being held in Washington D.C. The panel brought together a legal practitioner, journalist, and activist working towards gender equality and the elimination of FGC to discuss legal tools and other measures that have been adopted to end this practice worldwide.

Program Chair:  

Sandrine Siewe, Georgetown Law, Washington, DC  

Moderator:  

Bayor Chantal Ngoltoingar, Anti FGM Advocate

Speakers:  

Isabella Micali Drossos, Senior Counsel, World Bank

Shelby Quast, Robertson, Quast & Associates, US End FGM/C Network

Giselle Portenier, Journalist, End FGM Canada Network

Mariya Taher, Cofounder, Sahiyo, US End FGM/C Network

During the event, speakers introduced the World Bank's Fifth edition of the Compendium of International and National Legal Frameworks. The speakers also highlighted Federal- and state-level policy and law around FGC in the United States, and spoke to measures and programs that can help those impacted by FGC recover from the harms caused by this practice. Moreover, the panelists discussed the role of a bottom-up-oriented strategy, such as active and intergenerational dialogues within communities, for finding solutions to end FGC.

On March 24th, 2022 Sahiyo hosted an inaugural training on female genital cutting (FGC) for Asian Women’s Shelter staff and their crisis line counselors who operate their hotline for have undergone or experienced domestic violence or sexual assault. This training created by Sahiyo provided a basic overview of FGC, including what it is, who it occurs to, why it occurs, and the negative health and social repercussions connected to FGC. Additionally, how FGC impacts communities in the United States was examined and discussed.

This training is part of a larger Sahiyo initiative to integrate knowledge of FGC into larger gender-based violence prevention services across the United States to better support survivors of female genital cutting. To learn more about the project, visit here.

Zahra is a 4th year medical student at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut. She is interested in the role of health care providers in caring for those affected by the practice, and as such is involved with developing training for resident physicians on surgical care that improves quality of life and health outcomes in the most severe forms of FGM/C. She has also designed and implemented curriculum that introduces physicians in training to the cultural nuances surrounding FGM/C with the goal of increasing cultural humility. Zahra has been involved with Sahiyo since 2019, assisting on projects focused on community engagement as a tool to bring an end to FGM/C.

When and how did you first get involved with Sahiyo?

I have been following Sahiyo’s work as an organization for many years, but decided to get involved in the fall of 2019 during what was a rough patch in my personal life for a few reasons, khatna, or FGM/C, being one of them. 

Why did you choose to join the Advisory Board and what do you hope to bring to Sahiyo through this new role?

I chose to join the Advisory Board to make more meaningful connections with all of the incredible people who work with Sahiyo, and in hopes of supporting projects in the pipeline at Sahiyo. As a member of the Board, I’d like to contribute the expertise I have and will gain as I progress through the next phase of medical training, and look for more ways to incorporate training on FGM/C and survivor support into health professions training.

What does your work with Sahiyo involve?

As a volunteer, I have written pieces interpreting research on FGM/C, as well as abstracts and posters in order to disseminate Sahiyo’s work to healthcare providers, survivors, social works, and law enforcement, among other groups. I also support The Connecticut Coalition to End FGM/C by giving presentations about the practice to stake holders with the goal of introducing legislation in the state of Connecticut that addresses FGM/C. Additionally, I have created and implemented a curriculum that introduces medical students to the cultural nuances surrounding the practice, and am involved in creating a provider training for family medicine and obstetrics and gynecology resident physicians.

How has your involvement with Sahiyo impacted your life?

As someone who grew up in a community where FGC was the norm, my involvement with Sahiyo has been an integral part to self-actualization and healing. I joined Sahiyo at a time where I desperately needed allies who understood my personal struggles with FGC. Since joining, I have been able to use my personal experiences and integrate them with work that will positively impact my career as a healthcare professional. 

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

Sahiyo has taught me that joining a community of peers that are just like you, that have been impacted by the same circumstances you have, can be healing in so many ways. Using experiences that are deeply personal to you in order to make change in the world, no matter how small, is liberating. I encourage anyone who is looking to feel such liberation to support Sahiyo in their goal to end FGC.

This March, Sahiyo conducted its first ever Sahiyo Youth Meeting. Young activists are an essential part of the movement to end FGC, as they offer a fresh perspective and are eager to challenge gender norms and harmful cultural practices. Acknowledging this, volunteer Hunter Kessous started an initiative to create a supportive network of Sahiyo youth. At the first meeting, staff, interns and volunteers between the ages of 15 and 24 came together to discuss their journeys in working to end FGC and future aspirations. Additionally, the Sahiyo members decided on some goals for our new network, including a learning environment, an emotional support space, and an opportunity to find mentors. Strengthening the connections amongst Sahiyo's youth activists is a step towards forging the path for the next generation of leaders in the movement to end FGC. The Sahiyo Youth Meetings will become a monthly tradition for any Sahiyo members looking for an educational and inspirational community of young leaders.

Dear Maasi is a column about everything you wanted to know about sex and relationships but were afraid to ask! It’s a partnership between Sahiyo and WeSpeakOut, and is for all of us who have questions about khatna (FGM/C) and how it impacts our bodies, minds, sexualities and relationships. We welcome you to submit your anonymous questions.

Dear Maasi,

My daughter recently read an article about khatna and raised the conversation with me. I am against the practice now, but back then, I didn’t realize how harmful it could be and I am ashamed that I allowed elder relatives to pressure me into getting it done to her. My daughter is angry with me, and I’ve tried to explain things to her, but I don’t think it helped. How can we bridge the gap that’s between us now? Will she ever forgive me?

--Nafeesa

Dear Nafeesa,

Thanks for this heartfelt question. I imagine, with the recent increase in awareness about FGM/C, that more of these kinds of discussions are happening amongst family members. And I bet many of them feel complicated.

It’s common for those who have undergone FGM/C to experience a range of emotions when they first come to terms with the reality of it all. It’s also normal to feel anger, betrayal, sadness, grief, and confusion. You didn’t disclose this in your question, but I’m guessing that because FGM/C is an intergenerational trauma, that you, too, have undergone it? If so, you might be grappling with some of these feelings yourself.

Everyone is different, but here’s what I would have liked to hear from the elder relatives in my family who were responsible:

-An acknowledgement of the harmful nature of the practice

-A true apology for causing this harm

-A commitment to never do it again, and a commitment to talking to others in the family to correct misinformation and to prevent it from happening to others

-After hearing the above, I’d be open to hearing explanations, as long as these are not excuses to minimize their culpability

How about you, Nafeesa? What might you have liked to hear from your elders? You, too, deserve an acknowledgement, an apology and a commitment to do better.

In terms of how to talk with your daughter, I suggest the following steps:

-Ask her if she would be willing to set a time to talk with you. This ensures her consent, and also helps you both to prepare for a calm conversation.

-If she declines, respect her wishes and invite her to come to you in the future if she would like to continue the conversation.

-You can also ask if she’d like to talk in the presence of a mutual loved one, or a family counsellor who can help you to slow down the conversation and help you hear one another.

-If she agrees, ask her if she would be willing to listen to your apology and then offer it (see steps in the above section). Avoid getting defensive as you listen to her reactions.

A question for you, Nafeesa: have you forgiven yourself? If not, consider that few of us were talking openly about khatna until this last decade, and there wasn’t much information available about its harms. Most people who continue the practice do it because they feel they are doing what is religiously correct, and given a lack of substantive sex education, most don’t understand the myths (for example, the myth that cutting the clitoral hood is harmless and makes girls sexually “pure”).

Perhaps you deserve to forgive yourself now that you know differently.

Nafeesa, you are not alone, and I hope that you’ll be able to build understanding with your daughter in time.

Healing from the harm of khatna is our birthright!

---Maasi

About Maasi, aka Farzana Doctor:

Farzana is a novelist and psychotherapist in private practice. She’s a founding member of WeSpeakOut and the End FGM/C Canada Network. She loves talking about relationships and sexuality! Find out more about her at www.farzanadoctor.com

Disclaimer:

While Farzana is full of good advice, this column won’t address everyone’s individual concerns and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical or psychological care.