8^th MARCH – INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

Women Of All Religions Unite To Fight Patriarchy Within

Women Demand Equal Rights To Access Of Places Of Worship

Date: 8^th March 2016

Venue: Azad Maidan, near CST, Mumbai

Time: 2.00 pm sharp

Organisers: Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan, Bhumata Brigade, Sahiyo, Vaghini Sanghatana, Satyashodhak, Roots of Peace, Muslims for Secular Democracy, Gandhi-Ambedkar Vichar Manch & Bharat Bachao Andolan

Religion has been for a long time considered to be the domain of a select few males. Men alone are claimed to have always been the recipients of divine messages, men have been transmitters of the same and men have always kept to themselves the right to read, interpret and apply religious doctrines to the masses. Thus religion has become a tool in the hands of men to suppress women. And this has been going for a very long time. Women on their part have for centuries accepted the hegemony of men over religion thanks to patriarchal socialisation. Men were the givers of religious knowledge and women were the receivers. And if told that they are inferior, that they are impure, women believed in it because it had the force of religion and hence by default the force of God.

With rising consciousness, awareness and an innate confidence in themselves and a strong belief in their own equality before God, women have been raising questions which now are making the men uncomfortable, especially the clergy who have hegemonised religion. It is not surprising that Hindu and Muslim women and women from other minority communities have started raising questions about discrimination within their respective religions. While Hindu women have questioned the restriction on women’s entry into Sabarimala, Shani and Trambakeshwar temples, Muslim women have questioned the decision of the trustees of the Haji Ali Dargah who have stopped women from entering the sanctum sanctorum. Within the Muslim community, Bohra women have begun a campaign to ban the practice of female genital cutting.

Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan has filed a PIL in the Bombay High Court to allow women to enter the sanctum of the Haji Ali Dargah. Bhumata Brigade has made valiant attempts to enter the Shani Shingnapur and Trambakeshwar temples while Sahiyo has been running a campaign to demand a ban on the practice of female genital cutting.

It is important to now celebrate the coming together of women from different religious diversities and to raise a common voice to demand equal rights within religion from the state. Please do join us in large numbers!

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released an updated report on the estimate of women and girls at risk or those who have undergone FGC living in the United States. To read the report, click here. Since the last official estimate in 1990 of how many people were affected by FGC, the number has grown to 513,00 – this number is triple the estimate from the 1990 figure. This increased figure is attributed to the rapid growth in the number of immigrants from FGC practicing countries living in the United States.

Yet, these numbers are still an under-representation of the real number of women and girls who have undergone or at risk of undergoing FGC living in the United States. The report estimated this figure by applying country-specific prevalence of FGC to the estimated number of women and girls living in the United States who were born in that country or who lived with a parent born in that country. These countries included: Egypt, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya,  Liberia,  Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, West Africa, Yemen.

However, at the global level recognition that FGC occurs in countries outside of the African continent has only recently become public knowledge. In the last few years, reports of FGC being practiced in India, Pakistan, Iraq, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, various place in Africa, as well as other developed countries where immigrant communities reside (United Kingdom and Australia for example) were not included in these estimates. This limitation to the study is mentioned in the CDC’s report.

Regardless of this oversight in the estimate, the increased figure does validate the need for the U.S. government to provide more education and outreach to practicing communities living in the United States. The figure also points to the need to train social workers, medical professionals, lawyers, etc on the cultural complexities of FGC along with how to work with those women who have undergone this practice in a culturally sensitive manner.

Arva was a young girl who just wanted to go to the park and enjoy a beautiful, bright morning with her aunt. Instead, she was taken to a dark room, her legs spread apart and her voice smothered, while a sharp razor cut off the ‘sinful’ part between her legs.

Arva was only seven.

Today, 32 year old Arva is an esteemed gynaecologist, helping other women respect their bodies, despite the fact that she struggles with accepting her own.

For the past 25 years, Arva has desperately tried to heal herself from the scars given to her by the women she trusted.”But is it so easy to unknot yourself from the people and traditions that are deemed to be the essence of your identity?

Watch this space to learn more about ‘The Good Girl’ written and directed by Sahiyo Co-founder Insia Dariwala.

A gut-wrenching short film that peels the layers surrounding the barbaric practice of Female Genital Circumcision, when Arva comes face to face with her cutter. The woman she used to lovingly call, Faiji.

Coming soon! If you have questions about the ‘The Good Girl”, please e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

I need to say something and I don’t think it can wait. In the last few days, I’ve had two very heart-warming conversations with men who have thanked me for the work that I’m doing to better the world for their daughters.

 I never expected to receive those comments or to have these men express themselves in the way that they have with me. I didn’t realize how much it would affect me, and that as I sit here in this café writing this blog entry that I would have trouble not tearing up, and not feeling grateful to them.

 I’m not sure about you, but me, I love the work that I do, and I know that working in the gender violence field is not easy. It can be thankless. It can put you at odds with many members of your family and your friends. You will run up against those who try to challenge you, who will just not understand where you are coming from, and what you are trying to fight for.

 You will know that all you can do and hope for is to make a small dent in the world. That if only one person benefits from the work you do, that it is enough.

 But, I don’t think you ever really expect to be thanked for your work. And so, when you are, maybe like me, you will shed a tear in relief.

 So, to those men, I want to say, thank you.

 To everyone and anyone who has encouraged me, thank you.

 Sometimes, I don’t really know what it is I’m working towards. I don’t know if I’m making a difference. And I don’t know if anyone out there cares that I am doing this work.

 Your words have comforted me and made me really understand that I am doing important work. That I have a voice, a story, a role to play in making our world a little safer.

 Thank you.

 ~ Mariya

By Zarine Hashim

Age: 36

Country: Melbourne, Australia

The memory of the fateful day is very clear in my mind. It was a Saturday, and like every Saturday, mom, my older sis and I were headed to our grandparent’s home to spend the day there. I always eagerly awaited the weekend, as we always had so much fun there and got spoilt with yummy snacks, lollies and an occasional movie.

This day was different!

Upon reaching my grandparent’s home, I noticed my gran was ready to leave for somewhere she had to be. She said to me that she was going to see her friends and I could come along. I was quite excited about the outing. Little did I realize that this would be a trip I would want to forget about!

We walked into the bohra mohalla in Pune and went up a flight of stairs of a very dingy looking apartment building. We were greeted by a woman at the door who ushered us into the house. On entering the room, I noticed two other women sitting on a carpet laid out. One of the women asked me to take my undies off and lay on the floor. I was very confused and looked at my grandmother who said it was ok and I should do as I was told. So I did and as soon as I laid down, one of the ladies spread my legs and pinned them and the other two pinned my arms above my head.

I remember fighting to get free but they were too strong for me. Then I felt this sharp pain and screamed in agony. It was all over quickly, but it felt like a very long time.

I was very scared and closed my eyes. The lady then wrapped a gauze like bandage around my private parts, almost like a nappy and I was instructed not to mention this to anyone.

The other lady said, ‘You’re going to get a new underwear’, and I remember thinking that I just wanted to go home to my mom.

This is how vividly I remember the fateful day, but until I signed a petition to stop this practice four years ago, all this was a suppressed memory, buried away! I’m not sure how it has affected me physically, but it sure has affected me on a mental level. I still shudder every time I talk, think, or read about FGM and tears just roll out.

I felt cheated. 

But today I call myself a survivor and not a victim. I feel empowered by being a part of a group of very strong, brave and driven women and together we are fighting to see an end to this barbaric practice. 

I have a two year old daughter and I am very blessed to have her in my life and as a symbolic representation of my endurance and perseverance.

By Aarefa Johari

I have been speaking to Bohra family and friends about khatna for a few years now, but in the past 18 days, having khatna conversations as part of the Each One Reach One campaign has been a very different, heart-warming, emotional experience. Initially, when I approached Bohra relatives, the response was unenthusiastic – I was mostly just ignored. Then the Sydney Bohra jamaat decided to issue a landmark notice asking Australian Bohras to obey the nation’s laws and stop practicing khatna. This proved to be the trigger that dozens of Bohras needed to respond to khatna conversations, and suddenly, a number of cousins and friends reached out to me themselves, offering words of support.

My mother was reaching out too, by sending news articles about khatna and the Sydney jamaat decision to her own Bohra circles. Responses have been varied – some believe that the issue is insignificant, some see it as a religious tradition that must be followed, some asked questions to know more about the impact of the practice. A Bohra father told me he would never let khatna happen to his daughter.

The Each One Reach One campaign has also given me an opportunity to bond with relatives I barely spoke to before – I found myself having long conversations about traditions, religion, society and patriarchy with cousins who I have not even met yet. And I discovered that there are many others who share my views and care about critically evaluating the world.

The question of khatna is essentially a question of women’s rights within religion, and it has been particularly heart-warming to see that many of those who had conversations about khatna also spoke to me about iddat – the practice of making widows mourn in isolation, dressed in white and cut off from male company for more than four months.

This has been the most rewarding part of the Each One Reach One campaign. The Bohra community, like most other religious groups, desperately needs a woman’s movement. And thanks to these conversations, a debate has been triggered somewhere in minds that had so far not even given a thought to these issues.

(Trigger Warning: Below is the account of one woman’s experience with FGC. We thank her for being brave and sharing her story with us.)

By Fatema Kabira

Age: 19

Country: India

Seven years old. I was seven years old when they forced me to have a part of my femininity cut off. I don’t remember much from my childhood. My memories are very vague. Yet, despite my poor memory, I clearly remember the day I was circumcised. That day is a vivid memory.

My grandmother and mom told me I was going for a sitabi (a celebration for women and girls). I used to love sitabis when I was a kid. So, I got really excited and eagerly awaited going to the sitabi. I even insisted to my mom that I wear my new clothes and topi. After dressing up in my favourite clothes, I left with my grandmother and mom to go to the sitabi.

We didn’t end up attending any sitabi and instead we went to a place that was unfamiliar to me. It was an old looking building. The steps were covered with dust and were broken. I was confused why we were there. We went inside somebody’s house and were greeted by a middle-aged woman whom I failed to recognize. I asked my mom what was going on, but she ignored me. The house was small with only one room, kitchen, and a storage unit attached to the ceiling. The one room was dim and gloomy and gave out an eerie feeling. The Aunty chatted with us for a while and then went inside another room to bring something back. When she came out she had a blade and 2 or 3 other items in her hands (I can’t recall what they were). She came and sat in front of me. My mind went blank. I thought, ‘Blade?’ ‘For what?’ My grandmother then asked me to remove my pants. Innocently, I told them I did not want to use their washroom. My 7 years old brain could not comprehend any other reason why my grandmother would ask me to remove my pants. And that too in front of an unknown woman since my grandmother knows how shy I was even in front of my own mother. But I obliged to my grandmother’s request. They made me lie down and held my hands firmly to the ground. Next thing I remember is the sight of the silver blade and a sharp agonizing pain in my most intimate area. I screamed in terror. What did they do? The Aunty told me to keep quiet or she will call the “bhoot” (ghost) that stayed in her storage unit. I didn’t oblige to them this time. I screamed and yelled and tried to free myself. It was all in vain. They did what they wanted to do. It was all over. I cried all the way home. It hurt every time I urinated. The sight of the blood made me sick.

I was hurt and angry and confronted my mother about this. She told me she was under religious obligation and she did what thought was the right thing to do at that time. Fortunately, I didn’t face any medical repercussions due to the unhygienic and brutal way in which I was circumcised. But it has left a psychological impact on me. I feel disgusted, ashamed, and angry at what has been done to me. There is no reason that justifies this barbaric practice. There is no reason that justifies taking away women’s inherent physical rights and ability to experience pleasure. Young girls are scarred for life and this needs to be stopped.

Hello Sahiyo followers, friends, and supporters.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for coming out in such large numbers and taking forward our goal to end Khatna.

We have recently received a lot of media participation in creating awareness and thanks to them, this issue is now garnering the attention of Bohras from all around the world. However, we would like to add that our media interviews are done with the sole intention of reaching out to the community members, and not as a publicity stunt or public relations exercise. As an organization, we try our best to convey to the media what the aims and goals are of Sahiyo.

We as co-founders of Sahiyo, stand united against khatna. But our objective is to do this with the cooperation of our sisters without alienating or judging them. Sahiyo was, is, and will always be an organization that operates from knowledge, gathered within the community, and not merely on the basis of opinions or feelings harboured individually or as a group.

With that said, our khatna online survey is still open to all Bohra women who are 18+ years of age – regardless of whether or not khatna has occurred to you or whether or not you agreed or disagree with the practice. So please feel free to fill it out the anonymous survey as we are on the last stages of compiling and analysing the data received. If you would like the link to the survey, please e-mail us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..