On February 3rd, Sahiyo Co-Founder Mariya Taher joined Dr. Karen McDonnell from George Washington for our second training for the Connecticut Trauma and Gender Learning Collaborative (TAG). TAG is a collaboration between the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS), the Connecticut Women’s Consortium (CWC), and other healthcare providers in Connecticut. TAG aims to promote best practices in trauma-informed, gender-responsive behavioral health care in Connecticut by providing training, consultation, and information to behavioral health agencies across the state. During this presentation, Sahiyo continued to explore FGM/C in the United States, and discussed various resources available for clinicians and other front-line professionals who may come in contact with women impacted by FGC, and are looking to better understand how to provide trauma-informed care while practicing cultural competence and sensitivity.

Nesha Abiraj is an International Human Rights Lawyer. She is currently a contracted Senior Specialist in Advocacy and Policy, Humanitarian Affairs, with Save the Children International in Washington, DC. She also serves as an Advocacy Lead for UNICEF USA UNITE. Nesha has worked on global human rights policies related to the rights of women and children and global health and human rights. Notably, she worked on infectious diseases law and policy in India, China, and the United States. She has also done over a decade of humanitarian service in the aftermath of natural disasters and recently in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic in the Caribbean and the United States with local and international NGOs including the Red Cross.

Can you tell us a bit about your background?

I pursued my law degree with the University of London and did the Solicitor's Bar with Staffordshire University, in the UK. I was admitted to practice as a Barrister in Trinidad and Tobago on June 18th, 2009.

In 2016, following the media coverage of the chemical attacks in Syria led me to a course on refugees and asylum seekers, created by Amnesty International, which changed my life. After successful completion of the course, I knew I had to go even further if I truly wanted to make a difference. This led me to taking a huge leap.

I had my own successful private legal practice, which I worked for 8 years to build, and yet I was ready to give it all up to pursue what felt like a higher purpose for me. I applied and was accepted to Northwestern University where I successfully completed my Masters of Law in International Human Rights.

I became the first person originally from Trinidad & Tobago to be accepted into that program. It also led to me becoming the first person from Trinidad & Tobago to be awarded the Schuette fellowship in Global Health and Human Rights, which I pursued and completed with the Women's Rights Division at Human Rights Watch.

My work during the fellowship also led to me becoming the first researcher at Human Rights Watch to be awarded the Citation of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for my tireless work to protect the children of the Commonwealth from early, forced, and child marriages.

When did you first get involved with Sahiyo and what opportunities have you been involved in?

I first became involved with Sahiyo in 2018. During my fellowship I was tasked with working to end early, forced, and child marriage in the US state of Massachusetts. Part of that work involved understanding the linkages and driving forces behind child marriage, one of which included female genital cutting (FGC). To that end, I decided to reach out to an advocate in Massachusetts to determine whether this practice was linked in any way to early, forced and child marriages in the US.

In that meeting, I had no idea I was about to be introduced to someone who had been subjected to the practice as a child. In that moment, the gravity of FGC and the risk posed to millions of girls like her felt so much more real, and I knew I had to do something about it.

National outrage had also sparked following a Michigan court's ruling, acquitting a doctor who had performed FGC on a child. If I had left that conversation and did nothing, knowing the risk millions of children, especially girls, face, and knowing that the law was not even on the side of survivors or those at risk, then I would be betraying my own sense of justice/morality.

I continued to educate myself about FGC and did as much as I could with the platform I had to amplify survivor voices and the growing call to ban the practice. I attended most if not all of Sahiyo's webinars. I also enrolled and successfully completed a women's health and human rights course created by Stanford University, which included FGC. In 2020 I went on to participate in the Voice's project and was most recently appointed to the US Advisory Board.

How has your involvement impacted your life? 

I gained a family of "sahiyos" or "sisters" relentlessly pursuing a far better world for children everywhere, through the elimination of this internationally recognized human rights abuse, which harms women and girls and can result in death. Anything I do with Sahiyo brings both meaning and fulfillment to my life and I am exceptionally grateful to be a part of this family.

What pieces of wisdom would you share with new volunteers or community members who are interested in supporting Sahiyo?

Oftentimes, we think we need to do really big things which attract recognition to create an impact, but the biggest impact you will make in this life really comes from the things that are often not reported on or written about. I never asked for any of the things that were awarded to me nor did I ever ask to be the first of anything. Everything I have ever done in my life was honestly because I refused to be a bystander in the face of injustice and I cared enough to do something about it. 

In 2018, on a field research trip focused on infectious diseases law and policy in India, I had a focused group discussion with a group of women in India who were survivors of tuberculosis. While I can speak some Hindi and I do understand it, for these purposes a translator was needed.

These women shared the shame, the stigma and discrimination they experienced by their families on account of their diagnosis, ranging from being denied access to their children and being treated as outcasts in their own homes, to being sent back to their families by their in-laws, who in some cases did not want them.

At the end of the discussion, even through the language barrier, I went to thank these women for their courage and willingness to share their experiences, and it turned into hugs all around the room. For the first time, these women shared how much that human touch of an embrace meant to them of not being feared, scorned, shamed or stigmatized. I understood then and there what a survivor-centered approach means.

The end result of that experience was that these women became leaders in their communities and were now supporting other women like them, so that others would not have to face the same adversities. It is moments like this, which makes all the other challenges that you will face, worth it. It does not matter whether it becomes a news headline or whether it leads to recognition, what matters are the survivors and those at risk and knowing in touching just one life in the pursuit of justice, it might have helped change an entire community for the better. It is these ripple effects which ultimately generate the big wave of change. Just as working with these survivors cast a light on the best parts of our shared humanity, working with Sahiyo can do the same for you.

On February 1st, CARE Atlanta Global Innovation Hub hosted a webinar on reproductive rights and justice, and invited Sahiyo’s U.S. Executive Director Mariya Taher to speak about female genital cutting in the U.S. Pari Chowdhary (Technical Advisor, CARE) and Rachael Lorenzo (Cofunder, Indigenous Women Rising) also spoke on the panel.

The speakers focused on highlighting how reproductive rights are linked to the social, political, and economic inequalities that affect a woman’s ability to access reproductive health care services. Core components of reproductive justice include equal access to affordable contraceptives and comprehensive sex education, as well as freedom from sexual violence. As the attacks on reproductive rights and justice continue to grow, it’s more important than ever to build and strengthen communities who will fight for unrestricted access to comprehensive reproductive health care.

To learn more about CARE’s Tuesday Talks which were created to build bridges by exploring compelling topics, click here

You can watch the full webinar here, or listen to the event on one of the following podcast streaming services:

Apple Podcasts

Google Podcasts

Spotify Podcasts

On November 9th, Sahiyo co-founder Mariya Taher participated as a speaker in the World Bank-hosted Webinar “Intersectionality: Female Genital Mutilation and Racism.” 

The webinar was an event of the GFLJD Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting Legal Working Group. The panel of speakers was composed of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) experts and activists from around the world, who explored the ways in which inherent underlying racism is preventing the effective protection of every women and girls while leaving no-one behind; the ways in which FGM and racism’s consequences on health, education, wellbeing, social and economic development are similar and cumulative; the idea that special laws criminalizing FGM/C are tinted with discrimination when every country already has applicable general laws on bodily harm, injuries, mutilation, VAWG and femicide; and the idea that development actors’ general reluctance to address FGM/C directly can to some extent result from a span of underlying racial and gender biases.

In July of 2021, Sahiyo hosted a similar webinar: “Critical Intersections: Anti-Racism and Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C).” The event included thoughtful commentary from advocates and survivors of FGM/C on the overlap between racism, oppression, culture, and FGM/C. The speakers also shared the struggles theyhave faced while working to bring an end to this harmful practice globally. You can watch Sahiyo’s webinar here, and read the transcript of the webinar here.

Event: Sahiyo Discusses: A Fractured Life by Shabnam Samuel 

Date: February 6th, 2022

Tme: 10 am EST

Registration Link: https://bit.ly/SahiyoDiscusses  

Sahiyo invites you to join the second iteration of Sahiyo Discusses!

Designed to bring people together through literature, art, and media, Sahiyo Discusses hosts quarterly meetings with activists and allies in Sahiyo’s network to discuss a  chosen piece of media. With themes including feminism, equality, bodily autonomy, women-centered movements, and sexual empowerment, this club will focus on uplifting the stories and experiences of women everywhere.  

On February 6th, 2022 the group will meet virtually for Sahiyo Discusses: A Fractured Life by Shabnam Samuel. Shabnam Samuel is a writer, coach, social media trainer, and the founder of the Panchgani Writers’ Retreat, an international writing retreat based out of Panchgani, India. 

Her memoir, A Fractured Life, explores her life growing up in 1960s India after being abandoned by her parents. 

In her own words, Shabnam says; “We come from a Culture of Silence. A culture that along the way has shrouded us with this cloud of clear demarcations that all things good are only told to the outside world and all things bad are kept inside your own world. For women, this is doubly true. We are supposed to be the strength, the keeper of secrets, and the face of acceptance. It does not matter that some of us crumble inside. This needs to change. I know my story is not unique. I know there are so many of us out there. In writing my memoir, I want the world to know that silence should not be a part of our culture; I want young girls of today and women of yesterday to know that we all have a reason to exist. We all have the right to exist and no one should ever take that away from you in the name of culture, family name, kids, spouses or any other reason. So I write to prove that I exist.”

Sahiyo Discusses members will have the opportunity to discuss this book with Shabnam and ask pertinent questions.

Admission to Sahiyo Discusses is based on a suggested minimum donation of $25.00 USD per event. 

Donors who contribute $200 or more will have access to Sahiyo Discusses events for a full calendar year.  

If you or anyone in your network is interested in joining us please register and donate here: https://bit.ly/SahiyoDiscusses

Thank you all for your continued dedication to Sahiyo’s mission, and we look forward to seeing you all there! 

In Her Own Words: Shabnam Samuel’s Full Bio

Shabnam Samuel is an author and a motivational speaker and heads an Enterprise called Social Lite House, LLC, based out of Washington DC. Through SLH LLC, we reach out to the underprivileged, just not in economic spheres but also to those women, who voices have been silenced.  

Shabnam is an award winning author of her memoir called A Fractured Life, which was published in the USA in 2018. At the age of 57, after decades of silence, Shabnam found her voice and her strength through the writing of her book.  Today, Shabnam reaches out through her talks, seminars and workshops to those  who need to come out of their own shadows and find themselves.

Creative Corporate Workshops is where Shabnam spends her time teaching writing and structure to various organizations. Shabnam is also the founder of the Panchgani Writers’ Retreat, an international writing retreat based out of Panchgani, India. The retreat incorporates mindful living along with creativity and wellness following Ayurveda principles, with yoga, meditation and writing workshops.

Shabnam is studying to be an Ayurveda practitioner at the Kerala Ayurveda Academy in Kerala, India 

Shabnam hosts a local TV show called Dew Drops and Words that broadcasts to 6.1 million viewers on the WJAL LATV network in the Washington DC area. You can find her on YouTube under the name “Dew Drops and Words.''

When she is not doing any of the above you can find her cycling somewhere in the suburbs of Washington DC which she has called home for the last 34 years.

On November 9th, Sahiyo team members volunteer Zahra Qaiyumi, Programs Intern Sarah Boudreau, and Programs Coordinator Cate Cox led a training for Massachusetts based Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs). SANEs are registered nurses who have completed additional training and education to provide comprehensive healthcare to those who have experienced sexual assault. As an extreme form of gender-based violence, knowledge about and awareness of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) is integral to the care that SANEs provide. 

During the event, Sahiyo provided much needed education to over 200 participants in virtual attendance. Topics discussed included defining FGM/C and its clinical consequences, the legal context of FGM/C both locally and nationally, and an interactive discussion about best practices for providing healthcare to survivors utilizing the Voices to End FGM/C digital storytelling project.

Participants were active in the discussion, recounting times when they encountered survivors of FGM/C in a clinical setting and how those interactions could have been improved. They also self-identified gaps in their own knowledge of the practice, including timing of deinfibulation in pregnancy and how to perform a pelvic exam on someone who has experienced infibulation. 

Cultural humility-based training of healthcare workers who come in to direct contact with FGM/C survivors has the potential to improve the quality of life of survivors, improve access to appropriate healthcare and potentially prevent the practice in future generations. We also shared some of Sahiyo’s resources, including our Trauma Series Blogs and the Mumkin app. 

As an organization, Sahiyo hopes to participate in more events like this and continue to evolve training content to fit the needs of survivors and the individuals providing them care.

On January 20th at 4:30 IST, Sahiyo will host a webinar titled ‘How to Stop The Rising Trend of Medicalisation of Female Genital Cutting in Asia,’ featuring a panel discussion with medical experts and gender rights activists from India and Singapore who specialise in sexual and reproductive health. The medicalisation of female genital cutting (FGC) is an increasing issue in a number of Asian countries; a stark lack of legislation concerning the practice has contributed to a medical normalisation of FGC. Our panelists will explore medical perspectives about medicalisation and the current ethical debate surrounding this phenomenon, as well as touching upon the safety concerns and question of consent that underpins much of the controversy. Sahiyo is unwaveringly opposed to medical professionals performing FGC, as we believe it sets an alarming precedent of normalising the practice; we are keen to stress that there are no safe ways to cut a girl’s genitals, and therefore medicalisation is an important issue to address in the work against FGC.

During this webinar, we will bring a diverse variety of voices to the panel to discuss the different elements of medicalising FGC, offering their own expert reasons for, and the dangers of, this increasing medicalisation. Our goal is to create a platform to explore the complexities of the shift towards the medicalisation of FGC across the world and to dispel the myth that it is a harmless way to perform the practice. In line with Sahiyo’s mission for women and girls to have autonomy over their body, standing firmly against the medicalization of FGC re-affirms a woman's right to have control over her body and live her life free of harm.  

If you’re interested in joining our webinar, please see more information and sign up here.

After an ALIGN literature review revealed a lack of research on how broadcast media contributes positively to gender norm change, Faria A. Nasruddin has developed a series of case studies for the ALIGN platform that draw on the experiences from individuals and organisations in three key sectors: (1) education-entertainment, (2) commercial media, and (3) news media and journalism. Participating organisations include: Population Media Center, BBC Media Action, the Geena Davis Institute, the Representation Project, Sahiyo, Sancharika Samuha, and the Global Media Monitoring Project. These case studies, although varied, all revolve around the question: How can organisations mobilize broadcast media to effect positive gender norm change? What are the most effective strategies, and what are their results?  

To launch the case studies, ALIGN hosted a webinar with media practitioners, journalists, and researchers from South Asia to dialogue about the state of the South Asian media industry in terms of gender representation and how to tap into the transformative potential of broadcast media. Topics discussed varied from the effect of the #MeToo movement on the media industry to how to make education-entertainment engaging and effective. The diverse panel of speakers both highlighted the progress of those leading the way in changing the broadcast media industry and prompted key questions that the case studies address in greater depth.