HOPE MA Presenting at the Ounce of Prevention Conference
On June 17, 2026, HOPE MA hosted one of several afternoon workshops at the annual Ounce of Prevention Conference, held by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Community Health and Prevention, at the DCU Center in Worcester. This year’s theme, “Prevention Along the Stream: Collaboration and Connection to Build Healthy Communities,” brought together […]
Reflections from a Retreat in The Adirondacks: Foundational Conversations
By Anonymous Between May 13th and 17th, Sahiyo, Equality Now, and The U.S. End FGM/C Network hosted a convening of FGM/C survivors, advocates, policy experts, and LGBTQIA+ allies at a retreat center in the Adirondack Mountains. Participants gathered to hold conversations centered on building shared understanding and strategic messaging around bodily autonomy, female genital mutilation/cutting […]
Reflections from a Retreat in The Adirondacks: Intersex and FGM/C activists in conversation
By: Sean Saifa Wall Between May 13th and 17th, Sahiyo, Equality Now, and The U.S. End FGM/C Network hosted a convening of FGM/C survivors, advocates, policy experts, and LGBTQIA+ allies at a retreat center in the Adirondack Mountains. Participants gathered to hold conversations centered on building shared understanding and strategic messaging around bodily autonomy, female […]
Reflections from a Retreat in The Adirondacks: Beyond Statistics
Between May 13th and 17th, Sahiyo, Equality Now, and The U.S. End FGM/C Network hosted a convening of FGM/C survivors, advocates, policy experts, and LGBTQIA+ allies at a retreat center in the Adirondack Mountains Participants gathered to hold conversations centered on building shared understanding and strategic messaging around bodily autonomy, female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), gender-affirming […]
The Data Problem: Why the United States Still Struggles to Measure the Risk of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting
By Harshita Dasot Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is often discussed as a global issue, occurring elsewhere, but in recent years, within the United States, policymakers, healthcare professionals, and advocacy organizations have increasingly recognized that it is also a domestic concern. Despite growing public awareness and stronger legislation, one major challenge shapes nearly every conversation around […]
Harmful Conflations: Why Updated Legislation is Critical to Ending Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) and Protecting Survivors in California
By Karishma Patel On January 28, 2025, President Trump’s executive order titled “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutiliation” claimed that gender affirming care for transgender youth is the same thing as female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). A Joint Statement by Sahiyo, The U.S. End FGM/C Network, Equality Now, and The World Professional Association for Transgender […]
Reflecting on the New England Sex Education Conference
By: Olivia Harris On May 27th, 2026, the HOPE MA team presented a workshop titled “Introduction to Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) for Health Educators” at the New England Sex Education Conference (NESEC), a regional gathering bringing together health educators, school-based practitioners, and community-based advocates from across the region. The 60-minute workshop drew a diverse audience […]
Survival Is a Group Project
By Lubaina Plumber The Massachusetts Women of Color Network held its 9th Annual Conference on May 14 and 15 at Springfield College. I attended as a panelist on behalf of Sahiyo. The theme this year, Survival Is a Group Project, drew its framing from the tradition of mutual aid and collective care, and the program […]
Conference on Gender, Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting, and Harmful Conflations
Deep in the Adirondacks, a powerhouse group of 14 survivors, advocates, policy experts, and LGBTQIA+ allies gathered with a singular, urgent purpose: to build cross-movement solidarity. From May 13th to 17th, we confronted the dangerous and escalating conflation of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) with gender-affirming care (GAC) in public discourse and legislation—a trend that threatens […]
Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) and Anti-Immigrant Narratives: Why California Needs to Strengthen Its Law on FGM/C
Worldwide, over 230 million women and girls have undergone female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), and currently, an additional 30 million girls under the age of 15 are at risk worldwide. In the United States, a 2019 estimate stated that FGM/C has impacted 421,000 women and girls, and while most of these women and girls are survivors […]