The story of my start to the holy month of Ramzan

the women who wanted to have a voice. Why then are all these people feeling so threatened? It amuses me to see how a few voices of dissent could become such a big threat to an entire community. I am also amused to seethe kind of efforts put into...

Why I am a proud supporter of Sahiyo

Bohra women speak out fearlessly against patriarchal censorship within the community. Whenever Muslim women raise their voices they are accused of playing into orientalist projects or the Hindu right. When will you stop suspecting our motives and listen...

Insia Dariwala receives Women Have Wings Courage Award

and acted upon. Be it with diaspora communities in the US or back in India, Insia has been one of the faces and the voices of a small group of brave survivors denouncing the practice and calling for its eradication.” To learn more about Insia’s award,...

Here I am, sharing my story: Watch a Dawoodi Bohra woman narrate her Khatna experience

why she chose to speak out. “By sharing my story, I hope to reach out to those who have suffered and can’t find their voices, to those who are unaware of this practice and most importantly, to those who can help us eradicate FGM/C completely from our...

How I found out Khatna exists and why I choose to speak out

I do not want to have a hypothesis of the results I will get, rather I wish to incorporate in my research as many voices as I can, both those who are pro-khatna and those who oppose it. My job as a researcher will be to be open to all narratives and...

Sahiyo and Khatna survivors get attacked online through ‘organized trolling’

of something they feel. Furthermore, it is only a clear exhibition of intolerance prevalent in the community, which quells voices of the people who don’t agree with their mandate. Sahiyo strongly condemnsonline trolling of those who have voiced their...

Why I Chose to Tell My Story About Female Genital Mutilation at the Sahiyo Stories’ Workshop

Donate to Sahiyo U.S.

of Women from Female Genital Cutting. By supporting our U.S. storytelling initiatives, you ensure that survivors’ voices are heard. And that we continue to work towards the abandonment of female genital cutting (FGC) for future generations of girls. For...

Examining Female Genital Cutting and Intersectionality

under a tyrannical religious clergy might force these men to be more critical of existing power structures and hear thevoices of marginalised women. Once again, I was wrong. I learned that the patriarchy, embodied by these ‘reformist’ men, can never be...

Intern Spotlight: Sahiyo editorial intern Jenny Cordle

encourage abandonment of female genital cutting. 2) What does your work with Sahiyo involve? I have the honor of honing the voices of many who share their experiences on the blog with FGC through storytelling and editing. 3) How has your involvement...

Reflecting before we move forward: Overview of global FGC news from 2018

one full of pain and hope, but also moments of triumph. As 2019 just begins, we at Sahiyo hope the year brings forth more voices, more protection for women and girls and more progress in this area. We continue to believe that we can create a world where...

Sahiyo USA's Second Annual Activist Retreat: A recap

Needs Assessment, findings suggest that having a support system in place was crucial towards building a critical mass of voices seeking to create change. Both the Activist Retreat and Saathi program seek to do so. To read reflections from participants...

Utilizing Participatory Storytelling to Educate - A session at APHA 2019

session at the American Public Health Association’s (APHA) Annual Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to discuss the Voices to End FGM/C project. Participants were able to view a sample of the digital stories created by survivors. They were also...

The movement to end FGM/C: Looking back at the 2010s and looking forward in 2020

campaigns planned. The first among them will be launching next month, in February 2020: Digital Stories from the Global Voices to End FGM/C program. Follow @sahiyovoices on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to stay updated about the movement to end FGC...

How Melinda Gates’ Moment of Lift addresses female genital cutting

own communities, but they will need to be supported by people who understand what a loss they face when they raise their voices. Melinda Gates’ positive message that change is possible when women are given the right support to lift was a hopefulmessage...

Unspoken

my success, They find a way—the thorns life may throw to the next in line, My sweet B. (Naima Dido participated in Sahiyo’s Voices to End FGM/C workshop. You can read her reflection piece here and watch her video below.)

How I learned female genital mutilation is happening in India

community and made the issue part of their poll manifestos. The collective works of these organizations and individual voices can put an end to this practice. There may not be many official records about FGM in India, but that does not mean it is not...

Digital advocacy on female genital cutting in the time of COVID-19

in attendance, and continue to share survivor stories on their social channels through a project with StoryCenter called Voices to End FGM/C. Aarefa shared how Sahiyo India is likely to follow suit. “We had planned to have some community events at this...

Khatna within the Bohra community: A Struggle of Tradition and Modernity

in 2017 and the growing anti-FGM/C movement rising from within the community were important for people to hear different voices around khatna. This in turn, led to a shift in the rationale for the practice. While itwas earlier believed that it controls...

How COVID-19 impacts programs devoted to ending gender-based violence, including female genital cutting

out to Bethel Tadesse for contact information. The webinar ended with an important call to action: keep amplifying the voices of the grassroots organizations working to end FGC and GBV. For more information on how the virus is impacting programs devoted...