End FGM – Save our daughters
By: Arwa Country of Residence: India Today, I’m referring the most underrated topic ‘khatna’ or Female Genital Mutilation (FGM/C). I call it underrated because it doesn’t seem like educated persons in my society are talking about it even a little bit. It’s also called ‘Khafz’ in Islamic terms, and it’s a ritual in the Dawoodi […]
Sahiyo’s new book club officially launches in October
Event: Sahiyo Discusses: Seven by Farzana Doctor Date: October 13th, 2021 Tme: 8 pm EST Registration Link: https://www.flipcause.com/secure/cause_pdetails/MTI0Mzc5?mc_cid=58973cee37&mc_eid=UNIQID Starting this October 2021, Sahiyo is officially launching our book club, Sahiyo Discusses, with our inaugural event, Sahiyo Discusses: Seven by Farzana Doctor. Designed to bring people together through literature, art, and media, this club will host […]
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Absence of female genital cutting laws in India: An issue that requires immediate action
By Richa Bhargava Age: 20 Country: India As a first year law student in Sonipat, India, I was exposed to the practice of female genital cutting (FGC) as a part of my sociology course. We discussed the practice briefly. The article that formed a majority of our discussion only spoke of the existence of FGC […]
Struggle, belonging, and community: Sahiyo and StoryCenter hosted a Voices to End FGM/C screening
By Sandra Yu On August 19th, 2021, Sahiyo and StoryCenter co-hosted a film screening and panel discussion to highlight voices from the Voices to End FGM/C Digital Storytelling workshop. The event showcased eleven new digital stories, created virtually by a global group of advocates and survivors of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), during January and February. […]
Voices reflection: Hear it from a Hindu girl, FGM/C has nothing to do with religion
By Priya Goswami I was 11 years old when my mother said I was ‘impure’ now that I got my periods. The idea of ‘impurity’ in front of God enraged the eleven-year-old me. I wanted to know if my Muslim and Christian friends were also told not to ‘touch God’ or go near him in […]
Mutilation or enhancement: A researcher’s argument for respectful terminology on genital cutting
By Brian D. Earp I have published several papers on the ethics of medically unnecessary genital cutting practices affecting children of all sexes and genders. When my writing touches on the sub-set of these practices that affect persons with characteristically female sex-typed genitals, I have received some pushback for using the term female genital cutting […]
A reflection on Sahiyo’s virtual U.S. Activists Retreat
By Anonymous The aim of Sahiyo’s third annual Activists Retreat in the United States was to continue to work toward building a network of U.S.-based Bohra activists against female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) by strengthening relationships with one another, sharing best practices, and providing tools for activists to utilize in their advocacy work moving forward. Below, […]
Understanding female genital mutilation/cutting: An ally’s call for action
By: Farhanaz Hazari Age: 18 My fight against female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) can be traced back to the day my mother and sister had a discussion with me on how young girls from the age of 7 are subjected to FGM/C or khatna, as it is known in the Bohra community. They explained it in […]
Voices reflection: Sharing my narrative
By Zahara Before I participated in this year’s Voices to End Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) workshop, I had seen blurbs from previous years. In my head, the Voices program was an in-person workshop where a community of people got together to share their stories. However, COVID-19 happened, and this in-person experience was transformed into a […]