Relearning Masculinity by Turning Culture into Care, not Control
By Noor Ul Sabah, Sahiyo Volunteer In every culture, stories about what it means to ‘be a man’ are told long before boys even learn how to talk. Young boys are told through gestures, silences, and rituals. They are shown in the ways fathers, brothers, and elders model strength. But when those stories teach that […]
Engaging Men to End Gender-Based Violence – An Interview with Sean Callaghan
By: Priya Voetsch Sean Callaghan, the Head of Research at the Orchid Project, conducts research on female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), focusing on the continuation of FGM/C within diaspora communities. In June, Sahiyo’s Programs and Events Intern Priya Voetsch interviewed Sean to learn about his work on FGM/C, and what men’s involvement in the issue can […]
Engaging Across Gendered Walls: Talking to Men about FGC
By Zahara Kagalwalla Female Genital Cutting (FGC) has long been confined to spaces occupied by women. It is spoken about in hushed tones, passed down as a “woman’s thing,” a ritual overseen and upheld by grandmothers, mothers, aunts, and elderly women in the community. Men, for the most part, remain absent—silent onlookers, if they are looking […]
Positive Masculinity; A Critical Tool in the Movement to End FGM/C
By Brad Mazon, PhD. Brad is a Bhaiyo volunteer, nonprofit consultant, husband, father, and an advocate against female genital mutilation/cutting worldwide. I had the opportunity to attend two webinars sponsored by the Men End FGM Foundation entitled “Power of Prevention: Harnessing Positive Masculinity to Combat Violence Against Women and Girls.” The title of the webinar itself indicates […]
Reflecting on Our Father’s Day Bhaiyo Campaign
We would like to thank all of those who participated in our public awareness campaign surrounding male engagement in the movement against FGC. In honor of Father’s Day 2024, Sahiyo’s male engagement program, Bhaiyo, launched a campaign to help survivors and activists have productive conversations with the men in their lives about FGC. Throughout June […]
Dear Maasi: Why it is that women who have gone through FGM/C continue to do it to their young ones?
Dear Maasi is a column about everything you wanted to know about sex and relationships but were afraid to ask! It’s a partnership between Sahiyo and WeSpeakOut, and is for all of us who have questions about khatna (female genital mutilation/cutting or FGM/C) and how it impacts our bodies, minds, sexualities, and relationships. We welcome you […]
Session on FGM at the workshop Nayi Dishayein- Rethinking Development
By Mohammad Chappalwala Gender-based violence takes many forms. One of the most extreme, I think, is female genital cutting/mutilation (FGM/C), which causes harm to the youngest and most vulnerable members of our society. Being a male member of a community that practices this, I believe it is my responsibility to spread awareness regarding this harm […]
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, […]
Bhaiyo Mohammad Chappalwala to be awarded Donald A. Strong Man of The Year Award
On October 14th, Mohammad Chappalwala, a Bhaiyo (male ally), will be virtually presented with the Donald A. Strong Man of The Year award by the Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation. Mr. Chappalwala, who is based in India, will be unable to accept his award in-person, but is deeply humbled by the gesture; to put it in […]
CSW Virtual Parallel Event – “Engaging Men to End Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting
By Ellen Ince The Global Platform for Action to End FGM/C’s virtual parallel event at the Commission on the Status of Women showcased the importance of engaging boys and men in ending female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). This event united esteemed speakers and participants from various organisations around the globe who share a common goal to […]