HOPE MA Presenting at the Ounce of Prevention Conference
On June 17, 2026, HOPE MA hosted one of several afternoon workshops at the annual Ounce of Prevention Conference, held by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Community Health and Prevention, at the DCU Center in Worcester. This year’s theme, “Prevention Along the Stream: Collaboration and Connection to Build Healthy Communities,” brought together […]
Film Screening of “The Beginning”, by Insia Dariwala at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai India
In February of this year, the film “The Beginning”, which was directed by Sahiyo Co-Founder, activist, and filmmaker Insia Dariwala, was screened at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in Mumbai, India. “The Beginning” is a poignant story about ending the cycle of female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C). FGM/C is the deliberate cutting […]
Launching Sahiyo’s Male Engagement Toolkit: A Practical Resource for Engaging Men and Male-Identifying Individuals in Advocacy and Prevention Efforts to End FGM/C
Here at Sahiyo, we believe that ending female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) requires the participation of all members of the community—including men and male-identifying individuals. That’s why we’ve created the How to Engage Men and Male-Identifying Community Members in Advocacy and Prevention Efforts to Address Female Genital Cutting/Mutilation toolkit, a practical resource designed to help advocates, […]
Intern Spotlight: Karishma Patel
Karishma is a recent graduate from UC Berkeley with a B.A. in Sociology and Public Policy. Later this fall, she plans to pursue a J.D. focused on the intersection of health advocacy, law, and policy. Karishma is passionate about improving access to health care and has previously worked in the health nonprofit sector related to […]
Reflections from a Retreat in The Adirondacks: Foundational Conversations
By Anonymous Between May 13th and 17th, Sahiyo, Equality Now, and The U.S. End FGM/C Network hosted a convening of FGM/C survivors, advocates, policy experts, and LGBTQIA+ allies at a retreat center in the Adirondack Mountains. Participants gathered to hold conversations centered on building shared understanding and strategic messaging around bodily autonomy, female genital mutilation/cutting […]
Reflections from a Retreat in The Adirondacks: Intersex and FGM/C activists in conversation
By: Sean Saifa Wall Between May 13th and 17th, Sahiyo, Equality Now, and The U.S. End FGM/C Network hosted a convening of FGM/C survivors, advocates, policy experts, and LGBTQIA+ allies at a retreat center in the Adirondack Mountains. Participants gathered to hold conversations centered on building shared understanding and strategic messaging around bodily autonomy, female […]
Reflections from a Retreat in The Adirondacks: Confronting Leopold’s Ghost and The Fight for Autonomy and Democracy
Between May 13th and 17th, Sahiyo, Equality Now, and The U.S. End FGM/C Network hosted a convening of FGM/C survivors, advocates, policy experts, and LGBTQIA+ allies at a retreat center in the Adirondack Mountains Participants gathered to hold conversations centered on building shared understanding and strategic messaging around bodily autonomy, female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), gender-affirming […]
Have questions about healing after FGM/C? Ask psychotherapist Farzana Doctor
Many survivors carry questions they’ve never felt able to ask. Will I ever enjoy intimacy? Why do painful memories suddenly resurface? Why do families continue harmful practices? Should I confront the person responsible for my cutting? If you’ve ever wondered something similar, you are not alone, and we welcome you to submit your questions to […]
Reflections from a Retreat in The Adirondacks: Beyond Statistics
Between May 13th and 17th, Sahiyo, Equality Now, and The U.S. End FGM/C Network hosted a convening of FGM/C survivors, advocates, policy experts, and LGBTQIA+ allies at a retreat center in the Adirondack Mountains Participants gathered to hold conversations centered on building shared understanding and strategic messaging around bodily autonomy, female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), gender-affirming […]
Why New York’s Laws on Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting Still Leave a Major Gap
By Harshita Dasot Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is a global issue; however, in the United States, it is often incorrectly recognized and associated with only occurring in immigrant communities. In fact, in the United States, over 500,000 women and girls are at risk, with New York having one of the highest populations at over 48,000. […]