Sahiyo wins grant from Peace Development Fund

community based organizations on ways to support female genital cutting (FGC) survivors; planning for our next Annual Activist Retreat, where we train advocates to continue their work raising awareness against FGC; and conducting valuable research...

Sahiyo releases July 2021-June 2022 Annual Report

on FGC so that the overall capacity for care for FGC survivors can be increased We held our 5th annual U.S Bohra Activist Retreat with 13 participants, bringing the total number of advocates trained by Sahiyo to 74! We’ve hosted and participated in 40...

A reflection on Sahiyo’s virtual U.S. Activists Retreat

do somethingabout. Have you attended a Sahiyo retreat in the past, and, if so, what was it like to attend this virtual activist retreat in comparison to the in-person retreat? The virtual retreat went a lot better than I expected. It’s so easy to mute...

Thankful to be connected with so many incredible Bohra women

a secret practice that had touched all our lives. When I had the opportunity to help organize the 2nd Annual Sahiyo Activist Retreatnd Annual Sahiyo Activist Retreat, I jumped at the chance! This year the number of attendees had doubled from 11...

Reflecting on the NAPIESV ARP SA Grantees Gathering in Honolulu, Hawaii

invaluable insights, and highlighting the unique issues impacting communities in Hawaii. To learn more about our Activist Retreat program, watch the video below!

Join Us at Sahiyos Activists Retreat

U.S. will host its eighth annual Activists Retreat virtually via Zoom from July 26th - July 28th, 2024. Sahiyo’s Activist Retreats bring anti-FGC activists together in a safe space to female genital cutting and work together to end the practice....

Impactful Media Reporting on Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting in the United States: A Reflection on our April 17, 2024 Webinar

what types of work I could highlight. By the end, I was able to interview three survivor activists, but also film the Activist Retreat which is put on by Sahiyo in New York, [as well as help a D.C.\survivors support group for African women, and a...

Bhaiyo: Male Allies

2025 Comedy Show & Auction Sponsor Spotlight: Zehra Patwa

moment or story in your work that has stood out as especially meaningful? The first time I attended a Sahiyo Activist Retreat in 2018, I was burned out and on the verge of giving up my activism. The retreat was a turning point in my life by giving me...

Join us in-person at Sahiyo's 2023 Activists Retreat

By Umme Kulsoom Arif This September, from the 15-19th, Sahiyo will host its annual Activists Retreat in person for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. For many Sahiyo volunteers and retreat alumni, it will be the first time in several years...

Reflecting on the 2024 Asian Pacific Institute for Gender Based Violence National Summit

By: Samman Masud In August 2024, I, along with Sahiyo U.S. Executive Director Mariya Taher attended the Asian-Pacific Institute for Gender Based-Violence (APIGBV) National Summit in San Francisco, California. This year’s conference was aptly titled,...

Sahiyo Resources

Staff Spotlight Community Engagement Coordinator: Samman Masud

Samman received a Bachelor’s in International Relations and her Master’s in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus in Human Rights and Women & Gender Studies from George Mason University. Her graduate research explored the intersection of human rights...

Missing Link

Missing Link By Anonymous No cuts, no wounds, but deep empathy for my sisters. I came to NY for the 4th time but for an entirely different circumstance. Being part of the Bohra community, I have made countless connections, some of who have been...

Volunteer spotlight: Umme Kulsoom Arif

Umme Kulsoom Arif is a lawyer, activist, and sometimes writer from Missouri. They received their Bachelor of Science in Justice Systems from Truman State University and their Juris Doctor from Penn State Law in University Park. Despite having been born...

Sahiyo U.S. Activists Retreat: A reflection

By Zehra Patwa, WeSpeakOut Retreat [ri-treet]: a period of group withdrawal for prayer, meditation, study, or instruction. When I initially signed up for Sahiyo’s retreat for Bohra anti-FGC activists in the US, I thought it would be a good opportunity...

My Empowerment at the Sahiyo U.S. Activists Retreat

By Anonymous Country of Residence: United States A few weeks ago, I attended the first U.S-based Bohra Activists Retreat held in Brooklyn, New York. Eleven women from all over the country gathered together in a spacious Airbnb to discuss issues...

Sahiyo Hosts 'Thaal Pe Charcha' Iftar Party in Mumbai

On May 11, Sahiyo India hosted a special Thaal Pe Charcha “Iftar” dinner in Mumbai during the holy month of Ramzan. The event was attended by 24 women and men from the Bohra community, who came together to break their Ramzan fasts and also mark two...

Healing as Activism: One cannot give from an empty cup

By Anonymous Emotional burnout looms over my head like my very own Sword of Damocles, waiting to strike me down for being woefully human. But the above saying travels with me, like my shield against self-doubt, offering ownership of my humanity,...

Applications open for the 2023 in-person Bohra Activists Retreat

From September 15-17th, Sahiyo U.S. will host our 7th Activists Retreat in Atlanta, Georgia. Sahiyo hosts annual Activist Retreats to bring the Bohra community together in a safe space and discuss the issue of khatna (or female genital cutting) in...