Indian Supreme Court Offers Hope for Petition Against FGC, While Government Denies its Prevalence
On July 10, judges of the Supreme Court of India observed that the “bodily integrity of a woman” cannot be violated while hearing a petition about Female Genital Cutting. The Court made this observation while hearing the arguments of a petition filed by the Dawoodi Bohra Women’s Association for Religious Freedom, which claims that FGC, as […]
Why men too must speak out against Khatna
By Priya Ahluwalia Priya is a 22-year-old clinical psychology student at Tata Institute of Social Sciences – Mumbai. She is passionate about mental health, photography and writing. She is currently conducting a research on the individual experience of Khatna and its effects. Read her other articles in this series – Khatna Research in Mumbai. Khatna, […]
Tracing the Origins of Female Genital Cutting: How It All started
By Debangana Chatterjee Though the exact reason for the origin of Female Genital Cutting (FGC) is unknown due to the dearth of conclusive evidences, multiple theories revolve around how the practice began. FGC precedes both the start of Islam and Christianity and is practised predominantly because of cultural traditions. FGC is not limited to a […]
Khatna and the law, Part 1: Legislative Framework on Female Genital Cutting in Egypt
By Bhavya Singh Since the recognition of the presence of Female Genital Cutting (FGC) in parts of Asia, Africa and the Middle East, efforts have been made to eliminate it in these areas. At the international level, elimination of Female Genital Mutilation is a part of Sustainable Development Goal number five, which seeks to achieve […]
To All of You Extraordinary Women Who Survived Female Genital Mutilation, You Are Strong
By: Nada QamberCountry: Kingdom of Bahrain The day I heard about Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), my jaw dropped. A friend of mine who has grown to become one my closest friends was a victim of this practice. When she told me, my heart broke. I never thought that any culture could do that to their […]
Sahiyo Volunteer nominated for The Global Woman Student Ambassador Award
Sahiyo’s Maria Akhter has been nominated to receive the Global Woman Award in the “Student Ambassador” category, on Friday, October 26, 2018, in Washington, D.C. The awards are given by the Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation to people who do a great deal to protect girls and women from various types of violence, including FGC. The […]
Trauma and Female Genital Cutting, Part 4: Psycho-sexual functioning
(This article is Part 4 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 When discussing psychosexual functioning following FGC, it is critical […]
An appeal to Maneka Gandhi: Stop the flip-flops on Female Genital Cutting in India
Sahiyo is deeply concerned about the Indian government’s repeated contradictory positions on the problem of Female Genital Cutting (FGC) in the country. In the span of just 13 months, India’s Ministry for Women and Child Development has flip-flopped on its stand on FGC at least twice. Its latest u-turn came on Wednesday, June 27, when […]
‘Call it by the Name’: A researcher’s dilemma on the FGM-FGC terminology debate
by Debangana Chatterjee Two years back when I ventured into trying to understand a culturally specific embodied practice pertaining to procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia ‘for non-medical reasons’ as a researcher, the biggest challenge for me was to ‘call it by the name’. Disagreements regarding the usage of the […]
Sahiyo participates in Canadian webinar on FGC
On May 23, the Canadian Partnership for Women and Children’s Health (CanWaCH) hosted a unique webinar to help Canadian social sector organisations get acquainted with the practice of Female Genital Cutting. As an organisation working to end the practice in India and other Asian countries, Sahiyo was invited to present some of its work during […]