Mariya Taher awarded spot in LEAP’s newest cohort
Sahiyo U.S. is proud to announce that Mariya Taher, Sahiyo Co-Founder and U.S. Executive Director, is one of the new LEAP Leaders, joining Cohort 9! For the past ten years, the LEAP (Leadership Education and Advancement for Professionals) program has created a container where leaders of color can learn, strategize, and build community with each other. […]
Proposed legislation in Idaho and Texas discriminates against Transgender Youth and removes protections for children at risk of undergoing FGC
By Hunter Kessous Texas and Idaho are two states in which female genital cutting (FGC) is illegal under state law, for now. In both states, amendments have been proposed in the state legislature that would alter existing policy against FGC to ban gender-affirming care for minors. Gender-affirming care includes social, psychological, behavioral, and medical practices […]
Sahiyo’s International Women’s Day Celebration & Silent Auction Donor Spotlight: Tahir Taherbhai
Starting March 8th, International Women’s Day, Sahiyo U.S. will be hosting a virtual silent auction to raise funds and awareness for our programs and services to end female genital cutting (FGC). The auction will open on Wednesday, March 8th, 9am PST/ 12pm EST and close on Sunday, March 12th, 6pm PST/ 9pm EST. We have […]
Sahiyo’s International Women’s Day Celebration & Silent Auction Donor Spotlight: Zehra Patwa
Starting March 8th, International Women’s Day, Sahiyo U.S. will be hosting a virtual silent auction to raise funds and awareness for our programs and services to end female genital cutting (FGC). The auction will open on Wednesday, March 8th, 9am PST/ 12pm EST and close on Sunday, March 12th, 6pm PST/ 9pm EST. We have […]
Troubling Idaho House Bill 71 moves on to Senate
In 2019, the Idaho Legislature established a law protecting girls from female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), recognizing it as a violation of human rights. Yet, for the past two years, the same Idaho Legislature has targeted Trans youth, another vulnerable community, by attempting to amend the existing FGM/C law. This amendment would prohibit gender-affirming healthcare from […]
The Climate Crisis & Human Rights
By Nesha Abiraj It is an understood global reality that women and girls are facing the harshest impacts of the climate crisis. Yet we seldom hear advocates at the frontlines of the climate crisis, speaking to the impact on human rights. Thankfully, this is changing. In January of 2023, I was invited by the North County […]
Sahiyo convenes with other OVC grantees in Washington, DC
In 2020 and 2021, the Department of Justice – Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) awarded grants to organizations across the U.S. who deliver community-based programming to end FGC. The goal of this grant was to encourage educating communities and forming community networks of agencies and organizations that were positioned to identify those at risk and […]
My thoughts on the Washington Senate Bill to end FGM/C
By FA When I was a teenager, my family discouraged me from speaking out against khatna, or female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), for fear of repercussions from our community. I wanted to use my voice, but I did not want to disappoint my parents or bring shame to my family. As I followed the Detroit FGM […]
Washington Senate Bill 5453 concerning female genital mutilation/cutting moves forward in the Senate
On Tuesday, February 14th at 4:00 pm PST, SB 5453 concerning female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in Washington will move to the Senate Ways and Means Committee and for a Public Hearing. Here is how to get involved: Statement from the Washington Coalition: We are a newly formed Coalition working to end the practice of […]
Tickets now available for Sahiyo’s Live Comedy Show!
Sahiyo is excited to announce our first ever virtual silent auction to raise $15K in support of our work to end female genital cutting. The auction will open on International Women’s Day, Wednesday, March 8th and close on Sunday, March 12th. To kick-off our 5-day celebration of women’s voices, we’re hosting a virtual evening of […]