Samman received a Bachelor’s in International Relations and her Master’s in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus in Human Rights and Women & Gender Studies from George Mason University. Her graduate research explored the intersection of human rights advocacy and social media platforms in light of the #Metoo movement and the possibilities of transnational feminist solidarity networks in the digital media age. Samman is driven by her passion for local and global social justice movements and imagines a feminist future, one that is free from patriarchal violence and emancipatory for all people. In the past, Samman has been affiliated with Amnesty International USA in various capacities, where she supported campaigns on violence against women, migrant and refugee rights, death penalty and other human rights violations in the U.S. and abroad. Samman is excited to utilize her experiences in human rights advocacy, particularly her strengths in gender justice and intersectional feminist activism to address female genital cutting in her new role as the community engagement coordinator for Sahiyo.
When and how did you first get involved with Sahiyo?
I first got involved with Sahiyo in the summer of 2023 when as the Community Engagement Coordinator. Previously I had briefly explored the issue of FGC in various classes during graduate school while studying Women and Gender Studies, but I had never studied the topic as exhaustively as I would have liked to. In one of my courses, I read an academic paper where sociologists presented FGC as an issue of feminist agency and choice, likening it to cosmetic plastic surgeries. Other times, I found the sensationalized framing of FGC by human rights groups and legacy media to be problematic in how it recreated racist tropes about communities where FGC is practiced, further marginalizing at-risk groups and alienating them. So when the opportunity at Sahiyo came along, I became eager at the prospect of working for a survivor-led organization, since community-led movements can challenge false narratives and include a culturally sensitive approach that is vital in the field of gender-based violence work.
What does your work with Sahiyo involve?
I’m responsible for overseeing the Activists Retreat program, an annual in-person as well as a virtual event in which anti-FGC activists and survivor-advocates come together from all over the U.S. to discuss activism strategies on how to better mobilize more advocates working to address FGC within South Asian communities. In addition to assisting with the logistics of the retreat planning, I dedicate the rest of my time fostering relationships with a community of activists and assisting them in their anti-FGC activism. I do this by supporting their advocacy needs, whether it is through virtual alumni network events like quarterly meet-ups or book club meetings, or providing them with essential resources and news about FGC-related developments.
Bhaiyo, our male engagement program is another project I support. In this program I oversee our male ally network and build new relationships with individuals or activists who want to be allies in our mission to end FGC. I hope to grow this network significantly, so a larger community of men can discuss the harmful impacts of FGC within their circles, especially if they belong to communities where FGC is practiced. Gender-based violence is a function of patriarchy, and without male allies who can be agents in disrupting patriarchal norms, our work would be impossible.
How has your involvement with Sahiyo impacted your life?
Before Sahiyo, my knowledge about FGC was limited and only theoretical. Now I get to see firsthand the practical implications of FGC, in my encounters with survivors and how FGC has profound long term psychological and medical consequences. Through my daily engagement with Sahiyo’s collaborations and with other sister organizations and other growing partnerships, I’m now more aware of FGC advocacy, and the landscape of gender-based violence work in general, as well as of the many resources that are available to communities where FGC is prevalent. As such, the need to publicize Sahiyo’s work becomes all the more urgent.
Finally, my understanding of activism continues to grow from my interactions with different activists throughout the year. I find that all types of activism are impactful, as our Executive Director, Mariya Taher emphasizes understanding “activism on a spectrum” and how it can look different for each activist. Similarly, I was not aware of the concept of ‘public vs. private’ activism that Sahiyo’s work and activists place immense value on. Modern day digital activism, albeit critical to mobilizing masses for human rights issues, sometimes has confined us to thinking of activism only in terms of likes, tweets and viral stories. However, private activism can be a just as powerful tool in educating members of communities about a particular issue, as I saw in my first Activists Retreat in September 2023, where the privacy of an insular activist community was respected and led to important conversations about FGC prevalent within the Bohra community. As such, both public and private activism can drive incremental change and lead to progressive reform. The personal is political, indeed.
What words of wisdom would you like to share with others who may be interested in supporting Sahiyo and the movement against FGC?
The movement against FGC is equally critical as any other issue in gender-based violence work. We are working to mobilize a large body of activists to bring our movement to the forefront and push the remaining states to pass legislation banning FGC in the U.S. I encourage anyone interested in advancing women’s rights and gender justice to explore Sahiyo’s anti-FGC work as part of the larger gender based violence effort. Our small but mighty team at Sahiyo and the network of amazing volunteers and interns welcome and support all advocates, regardless of their expertise about FGC, to join this important cause.