Human Rights Day Panel at New England School of Law
On March 10th, 2016, Sahiyo Co-founder, Mariya Taher, will be speaking on the Human Rights Day Panel at the New England School of Law in Boston. More details are below: Topic: A Poignant Discussion on Female Genital Mutilation Date: March 10, 2016 Time: 4:00 pm Location: New England School of Law – 154 Stuart St, Boston, […]
I Will Not Be Silent – Ban Khatna Globally
Zehra Patwa Age: 45 Current Country of Residence: United States In 2014, I saw a video that changed my life. My husband sat me down, told me that this was going to be upsetting and showed me a video. It was a documentary from Australia featuring my cousin’s wife recounting her experience of being cut […]
To cut or not to cut? 10 Bohra stories to set off a debate on khatna
By Chandni Shiyal, PhD Student, Mumbai University I first found out that female genital cutting is practiced among Dawoodi Bohras in India during my M.Phil research on FGM in Africa. I was shocked when my Bohra friends not only confirmed they had undergone the practice but also seemed absolutely fine with it. I began to […]
Mariya Ali – London Bohra Resident – “Last Generation to Lose a Pinch of Our Skin”
By Mariya Ali I was born and raised in London, England and have been a lifelong member of the London Jamaat. Although FGM has been illegal in the United Kingdom since 1985, myself and many other girls have been subjected to this barbaric ritual, despite it being outlawed. After the Australian court case and subsequent […]
A note about Sahiyo’s Online Survey
There have been a few media reports showcasing that ‘80% of Bohra women who took a survey on khatna were circumcised’. This statistic does come from Sahiyo’s online survey. However, we request that media representatives please first get in touch with Sahiyo before quoting or mentioning this statistic in any article, TV or radio interview. The statistic is a […]
After Australia, Bohras in London asked to stop practicing female circumcision
(Originally published in Scroll.in on February 16, 2016)A notice issued by community authorities asks members to obey British laws that make female genital mutilation illegal.Aarefa Johari · Today · 01:00 pm PHOTO CREDIT: REUTERS/DANISH SIDDIQUI4K Total Views In another victory for Dawoodi Bohras campaigning for an end to the ancient practice of female genital cutting, all Bohra […]
Come See A Pinch of Skin – A film by Priya Goswami
In 2012, Sahiyo Cofounder, Priya Goswami released the documentary, “A Pinch of Skin”, which has become a national award-winning documentary on female genital mutilation, in India. A Pinch Of Skin will be screening in Mumbai on 19th Feb at 7.30 PM at Liberty Cinemas. This screening is organised by Osianama (part of the Oisan’s Film Festival) […]
Stop female circumcision, Dawoodi Bohra authorities tell community members in Australia
(Article originally posted in Scroll.in on Feb 11, 2016) By Aarefa Johari Three months after a group of Dawoodi Bohras was held guilty for female genital mutilation in a landmark verdict by an Australian court, community authorities have issued a notice to all Bohras in Australia asking them to obey the law of the land […]
If jannat lies at the foot of my mother, why did khatna happen to me?
(Trigger Warning: The story here is another woman’s experience of FGC. We thank her for being brave enough to share it with us.) By Insiya Lokhandwala Age: 33 Country: Mumbai, India I remember going to Pune for vacation when I was seven. Once there, my eldest masi (aunt) took me to a building where there was […]
Now, a petition against khatna by UK Bohra woman
Voices against the practice of female genital cutting in the Bohra community seem to be getting louder and more numerous. The latest to speak out is an anonymous Bohra woman from the United Kingdom who was subjected to khatna as a child and remembers it as a traumatic incident. She has now launched a petition […]