Today, I Call Myself A SURVIVOR Of FGM
By Zarine Hashim Age: 36 Country: Melbourne, Australia The memory of the fateful day is very clear in my mind. It was a Saturday, and like every Saturday, mom, my older sis and I were headed to our grandparent’s home to spend the day there. I always eagerly awaited the weekend, as we always had […]
My Each One Reach One experience
By Aarefa Johari I have been speaking to Bohra family and friends about khatna for a few years now, but in the past 18 days, having khatna conversations as part of the Each One Reach One campaign has been a very different, heart-warming, emotional experience. Initially, when I approached Bohra relatives, the response was unenthusiastic – […]
They would call the “bhoot” if I didn’t stop screaming
(Trigger Warning: Below is the account of one woman’s experience with FGC. We thank her for being brave and sharing her story with us.) By Fatema Kabira Age: 19 Country: India Seven years old. I was seven years old when they forced me to have a part of my femininity cut off. I don’t […]
A message from Sahiyo
Hello Sahiyo followers, friends, and supporters. We would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for coming out in such large numbers and taking forward our goal to end Khatna. We have recently received a lot of media participation in creating awareness and thanks to them, this issue is […]
To cut or not to cut? 10 Bohra stories to set off a debate on khatna
By Chandni Shiyal, PhD Student, Mumbai University I first found out that female genital cutting is practiced among Dawoodi Bohras in India during my M.Phil research on FGM in Africa. I was shocked when my Bohra friends not only confirmed they had undergone the practice but also seemed absolutely fine with it. I began to […]
Mariya Ali – London Bohra Resident – “Last Generation to Lose a Pinch of Our Skin”
By Mariya Ali I was born and raised in London, England and have been a lifelong member of the London Jamaat. Although FGM has been illegal in the United Kingdom since 1985, myself and many other girls have been subjected to this barbaric ritual, despite it being outlawed. After the Australian court case and subsequent […]
A note about Sahiyo’s Online Survey
There have been a few media reports showcasing that ‘80% of Bohra women who took a survey on khatna were circumcised’. This statistic does come from Sahiyo’s online survey. However, we request that media representatives please first get in touch with Sahiyo before quoting or mentioning this statistic in any article, TV or radio interview. The statistic is a […]
After Australia, Bohras in London asked to stop practicing female circumcision
(Originally published in Scroll.in on February 16, 2016)A notice issued by community authorities asks members to obey British laws that make female genital mutilation illegal.Aarefa Johari · Today · 01:00 pm PHOTO CREDIT: REUTERS/DANISH SIDDIQUI4K Total Views In another victory for Dawoodi Bohras campaigning for an end to the ancient practice of female genital cutting, all Bohra […]
Come See A Pinch of Skin – A film by Priya Goswami
In 2012, Sahiyo Cofounder, Priya Goswami released the documentary, “A Pinch of Skin”, which has become a national award-winning documentary on female genital mutilation, in India. A Pinch Of Skin will be screening in Mumbai on 19th Feb at 7.30 PM at Liberty Cinemas. This screening is organised by Osianama (part of the Oisan’s Film Festival) […]
Now, a petition against khatna by UK Bohra woman
Voices against the practice of female genital cutting in the Bohra community seem to be getting louder and more numerous. The latest to speak out is an anonymous Bohra woman from the United Kingdom who was subjected to khatna as a child and remembers it as a traumatic incident. She has now launched a petition […]