Uniting to End FGM/C Across the Americas: A Joint Statement
This February 6th – International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting, in recognition of this year’s theme – “Stepping Up the Pace. Strengthening Alliances and Building Movements to End FGM,” we are delighted to announce the formation of the Americas Alliance to End FGM/C. The Americas Alliance will serve as a coalition of […]
Learning the complicated history of passing FGM/C legislation in Maine
By Sophia Lynn Jones As a Maine resident, I was surprised to learn that my state is one of nine left in the U.S. without any laws protecting children from female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). Upon doing more research, I discovered Maine’s complicated history of attempting to pass anti-FGM/C legislation, as well as the intersectional issues […]
Empowered and Ignited
By: Emily Lerosion Each year Sahiyo hosts an annual Activists Retreat to gather anti-FGC activists in a safe and supportive space, where they can engage in meaningful discussions about FGC. These retreats aim to foster collaboration, share insights, and strengthen efforts to eliminate this harmful practice. The retreats include educational programs, self-care activities, and presentations from […]
Legislative Briefing on FGM/C in the State of Connecticut: A Collaboration between the Connecticut Coalition
On January 13th, the Connecticut Coalition to End FGM/C hosted a legislative briefing at the Legislative Building in Hartford, CT. The briefing was held in partnership with Sahiyo, Equality Now, and the U.S. Network to End FGM/C. The briefing provided an opportunity to learn more about the topic of FGM/C and the need to pass […]
Intern Spotlight: Fundraising & Auction Intern Lisa Zhu
Lisa is currently a high school student at Colleyville Heritage High School in Dallas, Texas. At school, she participates in DECA business competitions, fundraises for the Asian Food and Culture Club, and likes physics and math. In her spare time, she enjoys figure skating, spending time with her family, and reading. Lisa hopes to make […]
Critical Intersections Research Shifts Towards Implementation of Findings in Technical Assistance Trainings
By: Rachel Wine This month, Sahiyo led two trainings to expand the impact of the findings of our Critical Intersections Research Project within the greater gender-based violence (GBV) sphere. While FGM/C is widely considered a form of GBV, research has indicated that anti-FGM/C work largely exists in a vacuum, and is not often incorporated into […]
Kicking off our Massachusetts Community Health & Healthy Aging Project to build a state-wide coalition addressing FGM/C
Last month, we hosted our first meeting for the Massachusetts Community Healthy and Healthy Aging project. The meeting, which took place at Birdhouse in Amesbury Massachusetts, marked the beginning of a collaboration between Sahiyo, The US End FGM/C Network, and UMass Chan Medical School, and was held to discuss project aims, goals, and timeline for […]
What Not to Say
By; Samman Masud In this digital short film, “What Not to Say”, I wanted to take the opportunity to talk about the experiences and conversations I had with my community members around the time I gave birth to my two wonderful daughters. To some, these experiences would not necessarily qualify as microaggressions, nor are they typical […]
Sustainable Development Goals: How the UNs Benchmarks Align with Sahiyo’s Mission to End Female Gential Cutting
By Elaina Baliner Sahiyo’s Fundraising and Auction Intern Elaina Baliner is a recent graduate of The Ohio State University where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences with a minor in Biology. A passionate global health equity advocate, Elaina actively seeks to maximize positive impact and close health equity gaps. Recently Elaina […]
Reflections on the Sahiyo Activist Retreat: A Transformative Experience
By Maryam Kamal Eldin When I first heard about the Sahiyo Activist Retreat, I knew I had to be a part of it. The retreat presented a unique opportunity for me to connect with others who shared the same commitment to ending female genital cutting (FGC) as I did. For years, I’d been passionate about advocating […]