Sleeping researchers and lack of data on female genital cutting in Pakistan
By Huda Syyed Two decades ago, I flipped through Reader’s Digest to distract my mind from schoolwork and the sweltering summer heat of Pakistan. My eyes glanced at the brief excerpt displayed mid-page with a glossy picture of a famous Somalian model, Waris Dirie. She exuded a sense of resilience, and I knew there was […]
Rejection of khatna must be a step in the liberation of Bohra women
By Zarina Patel Khatna, or female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) within the Dawoodi Bohra community, is not a distinct or unique ritual. It has a context and it is important that Bohra women (and men) understand that context if they are to free themselves holistically, not only from the ritual itself, but from all that promotes […]
Survivor: Female genital mutilation as a form of ritual abuse
By Nevaeh Novak (Trigger warning: Below is one woman’s account of her experience with female genital mutilation in the United States. This story is deeply disturbing and may be triggering for some. We thank her for being brave and sharing her story with us.) My experience of female genital mutilation (FGM) was not due […]
Protecting the girl child: The need for an anti-FGM law in India
By Anjali Shah “Girls are not property. They have the right to determine their destiny.” – Anthony Lake, Former Executive Director, UNICEF Religious dogmas have gained focus with women coming forward to challenge the subversion and repression that they have been subjected to for decades. This has brought into the limelight the practice of female […]
Part II–Medicalising khatna within the Bohra community: A Struggle of Tradition and Modernity
By Fatema Kakal (This is Part II in a series about female genital cutting within the Bohra community. Read Part I here.) While religion and religious leaders, along with culture and tradition can be drivers of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), law can play an additional critical role in disincentivizing khatna. The arrests in the U.S. and […]
Reflections on the Voices alumni COVID-19 storytelling workshop
By Lara Kingstone Sahiyo held a StoryCenter-led COVID-19 storytelling session for Voices to End FMG/C alumni in May. The session was created to continue building community online and offer a space for women to share their stories during the pandemic. This workshop was designed to be an informal and relaxed space for those affected by female […]
How I learned female genital mutilation is happening in India
By Thirupurasundari Sevvel Country of Residence: India How do I start? How do I explain my first realization that there is a practice called female genital mutilation? It was a typical day. During my master’s program in France, I was working with a couple of my friends talking about so many different random things. The […]
Forced Clitoridectomies on Athletes
By Masuma Kothari (Several female athletes have been coerced to undergo partial clitoridectomies to participate in competitive sports. Read about female genital cutting (FGC) in sports here.) “Let me try to feel this, as if I was you. As a child I am embellished a rosy world of toyswhich could draw up to any passerby […]
FGM/C in sports: Why some female athletes are being coerced into partial clitoridectomy
By Zahra Qaiyumi Imagine you are a professional female athlete who is told that you must agree to undergo a partial clitoridectomy in order to continue participating in your sport. This might sound like a far-fetched scenario, but due to an International Olympic Committee (IOC) policy, this is a reality for some hyperandrogenic athletes. Partial […]
Why are we doing this? A Thaal pe Charcha participant questions female genital cutting
By Anonymous Country of Residence: India Age: 32 I have been part of the Sahiyo Thaal Pe Charcha group meetings for a while and have found it an eye-opening concept. The more I’ve been involved, I’ve become more aware of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). In the first meeting, I came to know it as a social […]