My experience of healing by attending the 2019 Sahiyo Activist Retreat in the U.S.
By Farzana Doctor Country of Residence: Canada Age: 48 When the first emails circulated about last month’s Sahiyo retreat in New York City, I wasn’t sure why I wanted to register, only that I knew I had to. I felt anxious the week leading up to the event and couldn’t pinpoint the reason why. During […]
The experience of hosting my very own Thaal Pe Charcha
By Xenobia Country of Residence: India Earlier this year in January, I attended the Sahiyo’s Activist Retreat in Mumbai, where I met some brilliant, fantastic people from all walks of life. Women shared their experiences, stories and life-lessons, and talked about how female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) had impacted their lives, either directly or indirectly, and […]
Speaking the truth about my experience with female genital mutilation
By Anonymous (Anonymous is one of our Sahiyo Story participants who continues to use her voice to advocate for change on female genital cutting.) At the Pro-Voice storytelling event at the Frogmore in Boston on March 31, there were three storytellers, including myself. The event was organized by Rev. Susan Chorley to contradict the narrative of shame, […]
Sahiyo U.S. Advisory Board Spotlight: Zehra Patwa
As Sahiyo’s U.S. operations and programs have grown, in 2018, we invited various individuals from a host of backgrounds and professions to join our inaugural U.S. Advisory Board. The advisory board provides strategic advice to the management of Sahiyo and ensures that we continue fulfilling our mission to empower communities to end Female Genital Cutting and create positive […]
Seeking Storytellers for Voices to End FGM/C – A U.S. based digital storytelling workshop
For the second year, Sahiyo and StoryCenter will collaborate to host a 3-day in-person, U.S. based digital storytelling workshop from September 20th-22nd, 2019 for survivors of Female Genital Cutting/Mutilation (FGM/C) and/or those who come from FGM/C practicing communities and are advocates against it. This year’s workshop will take place in Asheville, North Carolina and will […]
My experience at the Sahiyo U.S. Activist Retreat made me reflect on my khatna
By Anonymous Country of Residence: United States Age: 45 years old I often wondered what the two women closest to me thought about khatna. I wondered because I never really talked with my sister or my mom about it. Well, we talked, but not with much purpose. I thought they were against it, just like […]
Sahiyo’s New Video Campaign: No More Female Genital Cutting -Volunteers Share Their Stories
As April is known as Sexual Assault Awareness month, as well as a National Child Abuse Prevention Month and Female Genital Cutting (FGC) is an issue which lies at the pivotal intersections between these two issues, Sahiyo has begun a campaign to highlight why the Sahiyo community is working to both support survivors of FGC […]
Survivor of Mumbai: Plight to End Female Genital Cutting
By Brionna Wiggins (An alias was provided to protect the survivor’s identity and family.) There was once a girl who was seven-years-old in Mumbai, India. She and her mother visited a woman so that she could have her “khatna” done. Her mother was an educated woman and later a principal of a school. Today, she […]
Female Genital Mutilation: A Human Rights Issue?
By Maryah Haidery Country of Residence: United States Last month, the Columbia University South Asian Feminisms Alliance organized a panel discussion in New York City to discuss female genital mutilation (FGM) in the broader context of human rights. I was honored to represent Sahiyo at this panel alongside Maryum Saifee, an FGM survivor and career […]
The complexities of female genital cutting (FGC) in Singapore
By Saza Faradilla Country of Residence: Singapore This blogpost is the first in a four-part series about female genital cutting (FGC) in Singapore. This first installment details the historical, social and economic contexts of FGC in Singapore. It also explains the limitations of academic discourses on FGC in the Southeast-Asian region, and especially Singapore. It […]