Silence No More: Confronting Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting in Hawaii
By Mariya Taher In 2025, Hawaii proudly ranked as the best state in the nation for women’s equality, a testament to the deeply held Hawaiian values of respect and care for wahine. Yet, beneath this veneer of progress, a silent violence persists: female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), a form of gender-based violence outlawed in most of […]
Orwall’s Senate Bill 6017 Advances Survivor Protections and Support in Washington State
By: Khushi Prakash Senate Bill 6017 is a survivor-centered piece of legislation in Washington State that strengthens protections for individuals impacted by sexual and gender-based violence, including survivors of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). Sponsored by Senator Tina Orwall, the bill focuses on reducing re-traumatization, expanding survivor rights, and ensuring state laws better reflect trauma-informed and […]
The Connecticut Coalition to End FGM/C Interview Series: Caitlin LeMay
By: Juliet Shires Policy interns at Sahiyo have been interviewing members of the Connecticut (CT) Coalition to End FGM/C to learn more about them and their important work. Recently, Sahiyo’s policy intern, Juliet Shires, talked to the Executive Director of the U.S End FGM/C Network and CT Coalition member, Caitlin LeMay, about her personal experiences as […]
Voices from Washington and Beyond: an In-Person Voices to End FGM/C Screening in Kent, WA
On June 13th, we had the privilege of hosting an in-person screening of the Voices to End FGM/C digital storytelling project in Kent, Washington, alongside project partners the US End FGM/C Network, Mother Africa, and the Washington Department of Health. This event provided a platform for courageous Washington-based individuals to share their personal narratives, shedding […]
Sahiyo U.S. Engages Community Stakeholders in Seattle, Washington to Advance Senate Bill 5453 Initiatives
On April 23rd, 2024, Sahiyo U.S., in collaboration with the Washington Department of Health, Mother Africa, and the U.S. End FGM/C Network, convened a significant gathering at Greenriver College, Kent Campus. The event, titled “Prevention & Response: How to Protect Washington’s Children & Support Survivors & Communities Impacted by Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting,” marked a pivotal […]
Join the FGM/C Prevention and Response in Washington State Advisory Committee
Sahiyo U.S. is pleased to announce that in collaboration with Mother Africa, the U.S. End FGM/C Network, and the Washington State Department of Health, we are seeking dedicated individuals to serve on an Advisory Committee for a Washington state-supported initiative aimed at preventing and responding to female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). This initiative,part of the implementation […]
Washington State becomes 41st state to pass law against FGM/C
Sahiyo, as part of the Washington Coalition to End FGM/C, is ecstatic to announce that on April 20th, 2023, Washington state Governor Jay Inslee signed Senate Bill 5453 concerning female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) into law. This law creates a private right of action for survivors of FGM/C; prohibits providers from performing FGM/C on a minor; […]
Washington State makes progress to end FGM/C
Washington State is one of the remaining ten U.S. states without any law that addresses and prohibits female genial mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). FGM/C is a human rights violation and form of child abuse and gender-based violence that involves removal of the female genitalia for non-medical purposes. This gap in state protection has left children in Washington […]
Washington Senate Bill 5453 moves to House Appropriations Committee
In Washington state, Senate Billl 5453 concerning female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) recently passed the House Committee unanimously, and is now scheduled for a public hearing with the House Appropriations Committee on Friday, March 31st at 1:30 PM PST. The bill, which was introduced on January 18th, aims to: create a private right of action for […]
Washington Coalition hosts educational webinar on female genital cutting
On March 9th, the Washington Coalition to End FGM/C, in partnership with Sahiyo, The U.S. End FGM/C Network, Children’s Alliance, and Mother Africa, held a webinar called Protecting Children in Washington State from Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting with the goal of drawing attention to this human rights violation and how it impacts children in the State. […]