Sahiyo Storycenter Workshop: The Power of Storytelling
By Zehra PatwaShame. Deceit. Confusion. On the first day, sitting around a large table in a light-filled room in the StoryCenter workshop space in Berkeley, California, these words were repeated over and over again by each woman sharing her story of being cut as a young girl. And in most cases, the story was disturbingly similar: a […]
Trauma and Female Genital Cutting, Part 5: The “C” Word… and I Don’t Mean Circumcision
(This article is Part 5 of a six-part series on trauma related to Female Genital Cutting. To read the complete series, click here. These articles should NOT be used in lieu of seeking professional mental health and counseling services when needed.) By Joanna Vergoth, LCSW, NCPsyA Since the ritual of Female Genital Cutting (FGC) involves […]
Let there be no more victims like me
By AnonymousCountry: Sri Lanka I am a victim of Female Genital Cutting – some might want to call it circumcision, I call it Mutilation. Not quite the way that the proponents want to depict it as what always happens in Africa (infibulation) with horrific scars, but in the way, it happened to me in Sri […]
A Tradition That Branded Me
By Severina LemachokotiI chose to tell this particular story about my experience with Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) because the story defines me, who I am, and shows what my culture/tradition branded me with. The story reflects the reality of what I went through and what I felt as a little girl. This is my other […]
Not all damages are physical. Not everyone religious is morally ethical
Name: Xenobia (name changed) Age: 27Country: India Today, social media is raging with thoughts and opinions on empowering women, being pro-choice, violating someone’s privacy and their body, and the role of consent, among others. Some say rapists must undoubtedly be hung to death, while some talk about punishing molesters and eve-teasers as well, so that […]
Looking from the Outside-In: Initial Perceptions of Female Genital Cutting
By Batoul Saleh A campaign event for Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar and former Michigan rep. Rashida Tlaib was disrupted on August 11 by Laura Loomer, a conservative media personality. Invading the event, Loomer claimed that Omar, a Somali-American, supported Female Genital Cutting/Mutilation (FGC/M), along with other accusations about her African culture and background, essentially questioning […]
Donate to Sahiyo U.S.
Donate Now and Protect the Next Generation of Women from Female Genital Cutting. By supporting our U.S. storytelling initiatives, you ensure that survivors’ voices are heard. And that we continue to work towards the abandonment of female genital cutting (FGC) for future generations of girls. For every $50 donated, we can support and train another […]
Sahiyo co-founders win Laadli and ShoorVeer Awards in India
Sahiyo’s investigative report on the previously unknown prevalence of Female Genital Cutting in the Indian state of Kerala won the prestigious Laadli Media and Advertising Award for Gender Sensitivity for the year 2017. The report was authored by Sahiyo co-founder Aarefa Johari and independent writer and activist Aysha Mahmood. Johari received the Laadli award on […]
Why I co-hosted a Sahiyo ‘Thaal pe Charcha’ lunch in New York
By Alifya Sulemanji I had been hearing about Thaal pe Charcha (TPC), an event organized by Sahiyo, on a regular basis in Bombay India and it seemed like a very interesting concept to me. I felt inspired to host one at my home and bring together New York Bohra women for such an event. I […]
U.S. Advisory Board
Alisha Bhagat, Sahiyo U.S. Advisory Board Chair, is a futurist and senior strategist whose work focuses on the creative use of futures tools to impact long term positive change, particularly around social justice and equality. She currently works at the nonprofit, Forum for the Future, and her work utilizes foresight methods such as systems mapping, […]