A conversation with Washington activist Absa Samba: SB 5453 a product of collaboration and persistence
By Rachel Wine As the Washington Senate Bill 5453 concerning female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) moves forward in the legislature, I had the honor of speaking with Absa Samba, who has been instrumental in advocating for legislation on FGM/C in Washington state. Absa’s advocacy journey began over a decade ago, when Absa was in middle school. […]
The impact of Bhaiyo: How male allies work to end female genital cutting
Today, on International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting, Sahiyo is proud to release our program impact report, Bhaiyo: A Male Ally Initiative to Support Ending Female Genital Cutting. The report spans the duration of our Bhaiyo program, from its creation in February 2021 through December 2022, and covers our challenges, lessons learned, […]
The urgency of climate change: Reflecting on my conversation with activist Domtila Chesang
by Urvashi Sharma On a foggy day in October, I had the pleasure of speaking with Domtila Chesang, an inspired activist against female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in Kenya, and more recently a panellist on The Global Platform for Action to End FGM/C’s Climate Change and FGC webinar, to learn about her work and gain a […]
Sahiyo’s first Youth Meeting
This March, Sahiyo conducted its first ever Sahiyo Youth Meeting. Young activists are an essential part of the movement to end FGC, as they offer a fresh perspective and are eager to challenge gender norms and harmful cultural practices. Acknowledging this, volunteer Hunter Kessous started an initiative to create a supportive network of Sahiyo youth. […]
Sahiyo’s new book club officially launches in October
Event: Sahiyo Discusses: Seven by Farzana Doctor Date: October 13th, 2021 Tme: 8 pm EST Registration Link: https://www.flipcause.com/secure/cause_pdetails/MTI0Mzc5?mc_cid=58973cee37&mc_eid=UNIQID Starting this October 2021, Sahiyo is officially launching our book club, Sahiyo Discusses, with our inaugural event, Sahiyo Discusses: Seven by Farzana Doctor. Designed to bring people together through literature, art, and media, this club will host […]
Understanding female genital mutilation/cutting: An ally’s call for action
By: Farhanaz Hazari Age: 18 My fight against female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) can be traced back to the day my mother and sister had a discussion with me on how young girls from the age of 7 are subjected to FGM/C or khatna, as it is known in the Bohra community. They explained it in […]
Remembering Egyptian feminist’s heroic fight against female genital cutting
By Madrisha Debnath Despite the fact that the mother of Egyptian Feminist Movement Nawal El Saadawi died at age 89 earlier this year, her fight against patriarchy lives on. Born in 1931, she was an Egyptian writer, psychiatrist, physician, and a powerful feminist activist who fought against female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) for many years. In […]
Women should not be harmed because of societal norms
By Sakshi Rajani Age: 17 Country: India Female genital cutting (FGC): the term sounded ruthless the first time I heard it. It was not long ago that I was introduced to this term. While going through my Instagram feed, I read a story about a law student who was spreading awareness about FGC, and I […]
Using Storytelling to Shift Social Norms and Prevent FGM/C: Event Reflection
By Cate Cox Sahiyo was honored to join StoryCenter to host the webinar, “Using Storytelling to Shift Social Norms and Prevent FGM/C,” during a parallel event for the 65th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women on March 16th. Sahiyo and StoryCenter staff had the opportunity to introduce the collaborative Voices to End FGM/C project, […]
Four women who were pivotal to the movement to end female genital cutting
By Megan Maxwell The movement to end female genital cutting (FGC) has been in effect starting as far back as the latter half of the 19th century through the voices, writing, and research of women who have worked for the rights of women and girls. FGC is present in 92 countries. In honor of Women’s […]