Research: The impact of integrating FGM/C within domestic violence support services
By Sarrah HussainFor my undergraduate honors thesis, I am working with Sahiyo and Asian’s Women’s Shelter (AWS) to better understand support services for survivors of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). I recently presented a poster about my research, and am excited to share a bit about my project!Before I get into the details of my project, […]
Why are Indian ethics committees still hesitant to approve studies on FGM/C?
By Dr. Alifya In the past year, while making arduous efforts to obtain ethical approval for my research, I have come to understand the answer I was continuously receiving. “No.” My colleague and I, both doctors, sought out to survey Indian healthcare workers on their knowledge, attitudes, and practices about female genital mutilation or cutting […]
How to have a dialogue: Storytelling & Conversations
By Huda Syyed It took me a while to realise that research isn’t just about crunching numbers and gathering quantitative data. When dealing with issues such as female genital cutting (FGC), human interaction and communication can play a more important role than numbers; to open up and speak about one’s experience of FGC requires a […]
Reflections on research: Digital Storytelling as a narrative intervention for survivors of FGM/C
Where, and how, does agency (or one’s capacity to act) manifest itself for survivors of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C)? How can survivors heal and find community with each other? These were two of the questions I pursued through a research project on the effect of digital storytelling on survivors of FGM/C, based on the long-running Voices to […]
Being a researcher: Finding balance
By Huda Syyed The biggest challenge of being a researcher is to be impartial during the data collection process. However, for the researcher, conducting any area of research will come with some personal sentiment or perception regarding that topic. Oftentimes the researcher has to sit and contemplate how they will approach the subject despite their […]
An FGC researcher’s reflection on the first-ever Research Agenda and Ethical Guidance on Research for the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation
By Hunter Kessous In my sophomore year of college, I decided to conduct research analyzing the knowledge, attitudes, and training of community health workers who work to end FGC. In the early stages of my research project, I held interviews with many wonderful leaders of organizations working to end female genital cutting (FGC). I also […]
Reflecting on the launch of the first-ever Research Agenda and Ethical Guidance on Research for the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation
By Ellen Ince On January 27th, I attended the virtual launch of the first-ever Global Research Agenda on the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and the launch of Ethical Considerations in Research on Female Genital Mutilation. This online event, hosted by UNFPA, UNICEF, WHO, and the Population Council, Kenya. I immediately felt the […]
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 […]
Absence of female genital cutting laws in India: An issue that requires immediate action
By Richa Bhargava Age: 20 Country: India As a first year law student in Sonipat, India, I was exposed to the practice of female genital cutting (FGC) as a part of my sociology course. We discussed the practice briefly. The article that formed a majority of our discussion only spoke of the existence of FGC […]
Mutilation or enhancement: A researcher’s argument for respectful terminology on genital cutting
By Brian D. Earp I have published several papers on the ethics of medically unnecessary genital cutting practices affecting children of all sexes and genders. When my writing touches on the sub-set of these practices that affect persons with characteristically female sex-typed genitals, I have received some pushback for using the term female genital cutting […]