A reflection on Sahiyo’s Activists Retreat: A sense of belonging
By Amena I attended Sahiyo’s Activists Retreat because it stands for a cause I believe in to end female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) for future generations of girls. This was the first time I was able to connect with people who have a similar stance on this cause and meet allies and people who have been […]
A reflection on Sahiyo’s Activists Retreat: Creating an impact to end female genital cutting
By Anonymous I had the opportunity to attend Sahiyo’s second virtual Activists Retreat (my first one) last month and absolutely loved every second of it. I had been feeling extreme Zoom fatigue leading up to the weekend, and wasn’t exactly looking forward to spending an entire weekend on Zoom. But as soon as the weekend […]
Activists Retreat
The Sahiyo Activist Retreat aims to bring together ‘activists’ who speak out against Female Genital Cutting (FGC) – people who work either publicly or anonymously to raise community and social awareness regarding the importance of ending the harmful practice of FGC. The first Sahiyo Activist Retreat occurred in the U.S. and India in 2018. The […]
What I learned about FGC at Sahiyo’s Virtual Activist Retreat
By Anonymous I first heard about female genital cutting (FGC) from a close friend who had undergone the practice. When I heard about it, I was around ten years old. I was shocked, but didn’t have enough information to understand the weight of the problem. Since then, I’ve learned a lot more about the issue, […]
Sahiyo hosts third annual Activist Retreat
Sahiyo held its third annual Activist Retreat in the United States via Zoom from April 10-12. The aim of the retreat was to continue to work toward building a network of U.S.-based Bohra activists against female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) by strengthening relationships with one another, sharing best practices, and providing tools for activists to utilize […]
Sahiyo Activist Retreats
India Activist Retreat – 2019 The first annual Sahiyo Activists’ Retreats in the US and in India were organized in 2018 for advocates working to end Female Genital Cutting (FGC). The primary aim of these retreats in each country is to bring together ‘activists’ speaking out against FGC — people […]
I was impressed with the courage of young women at Sahiyo’s Activist Retreat
By Rashida Rangwala In March 2019, I attended my second Sahiyo Activist Retreat. For me it was an occasion to meet friends I had made last year at the 2018 retreat, share the progress I had made as an activist over the course of the past year, and demonstrate how much the first retreat had […]
The Sahiyo Activist Retreat gave me insight on how to talk about FGM/C
By Alifya Sulemanji Age: 45 Country of Residence: United States I was looking forward to attending the second Sahiyo Activist Retreat as it is a great platform to meet more women who are standing up for the abandonment of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). I was happy to meet women from different parts of the United States. […]
Why I feel Sahiyo’s Activist Retreat is a sacred space
By AnonymousCountry of Residence: United StatesAge: 35 I knew that feeling of being surrounded by Bohra women, for two full days, chatting, laughing, crying and sharing experiences of what it means to be Bohra. That sense of community, that inspiration that came from hearing everyone’s stories, and that deep desire to want to make change […]
How the Sahiyo Activist Retreat helped me gain perspective from other khatna survivors
By Anonymous Country of Residence: United States Age: 32 I felt a strong need to participate in the Sahiyo 2019 Activist Retreat because I hoped to heal from my experience of FGM/C and to gain perspective from other women who had been victims of khatna as well. For the first time in my life, I […]