In honor of Father’s Day 2024, Sahiyo’s male engagement program, Bhaiyo, is launching a public awareness campaign to uplift the importance of male voices and allies in ending female genital cutting or FGC. Recognizing that FGC is a community health issue – not just a woman’s issue – the movement to end FGC needs additional male voices and allies to bring this issue to the forefront. 

This June, we’ll be holding a month-long campaign asking community members to share how they have raised the topic of FGC in conversation with men in their lives.

In order to help create safe, insightful, and positive conversations, we have provided a list of tools, questions, guidelines that can help you facilitate these conversations. Keep in mind you an apply many of these tips to conversations with others in your life as well, not just men.

1) Listening:

The simple act of genuinely listening to another person is powerful. Listen with your full attention, without judgment or assumptions. 

Instead of giving advice or telling a person what to feel or do, be a sounding board and brainstorm options.

However, setting appropriate limits is important for effective communication. If someone is being hateful towards you, it is okay to not continue the conversation.

2) Sharing stories during conversations:

Storytelling can be intimidating for people who find it hard to believe they have any story worth sharing, especially if it’s about something personal, taboo, or hidden. Yet it's also empowering, supporting an individual’s ability to think through what it is she wants to say, whom she wants to say it to, and what she hopes will happen as a result, while retaining significant control over the use and distribution of her narrative.

As healing as it can be, though, it also comes with its own personal risks: a person may feel more vulnerable and alone after sharing, or might be shamed by others. Create the right conditions for somebody to feel safe to share their story with you and encourage them, but don't pressure them if they're not ready.

3) Continued conversations:

Social change takes time, and often we may experience that we don’t get the results that we want in one conversation. Therefore, it is important to take stock of what has occurred during the course of the conversation, and allow all parties involved some time and space to reflect on it.

However, do not let it be your last conversation. Change can only happen if we are constantly in dialogue with each other.

4) If you're talking to a man, consider initiating conversations with these questions:

• When did you first come to know about FGC? 
• What is the role men can play in educating communities about FGC? 
• How can brothers/fathers make an impact in these conversations about ending FGC? 
• What message would you like to give to all the fathers and brothers out there about ending FGC?

We hope that this guide and list of questions will help you to have stimulating conversations that are enlightening and constructive.

For comments and inquiries about the campaign, please reach out to Samman Masud at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

PS: Sahiyo will soon be launching a survey around male engagement on FGC during our June Father’s Day campaign. We’ll be sharing more information in the future about how to participate!

Related:

• This Father’s Day, join our campaign

By Lubaina Plumber

Remember that pivotal moment when a cause became intensely personal? That's what happened to me when I discovered the human rights violation of female genital cutting (FGC) a few years ago. It triggered buried memories of my own experience as an eight-year-old survivor. 

I finally attended the transformative Sahiyo Activists Retreat in 2023, and those three days in Atlanta were sheer magic. 

I was instantly enveloped in a safe haven of kindred spirits where I could openly share my story without judgment. The thoughtfully planned activities included toolkits, group discussions, and personal anecdotes.All of which illuminated the nuances of the global FGC discourse. Hearing from powerful guest speakers was also incredibly inspiring. 

But what moved me the most were the authentic conversations with fellow activists. Trading perspectives, bonding over shared trauma, and feeling that profound sense of sisterhood - it was deeply cathartic and healing. 

The retreat also gave me the courage to initiate tough dialogues back home. I learned to broach the subject of FGC with a patience for ignorance, but still with a fierce determination to educate those who wrongly endorse the practice. I left the retreat with an unshakable support system and a heart full of hope for the future.

Now, I'm extending an impassioned invitation to you: Join us at the next three-day Sahiyo Activists Retreat, taking place virtually this year from July 26-July 28! 

This is your chance to be part of a mighty community united against FGC. To find your tribe, nurture your activist spirit, and amplify your voice through empowering activities. 

Trust me, those few days will forge bonds that last forever and equip you with tools to create tangible change. Let's come together, share our stories, and build a world that’s free and safe. 

The time has come to join the movement. Sign up now by June 1st and let's make this year's retreat even more impactful!

Related:

• Join us for Sahiyo’s 8th annual Activists Retreat
• Passion, Purpose, Party: My take on Sahiyo's Activists Retreat

By Arefa Cassoobhoy

Why did you want to attend the retreat?

I had attended a virtual retreat during Covid and I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed meeting other people virtually, so that helped me feel comfortable that I would do well in an in-person group. Going to the virtual retreat also made me realize that I was ready to learn more about FGC and the history of the practice in the Bohra community. I knew that Zehra Petwa and Mariya were FGC experts when it came to talking about FGC, so I wanted to learn from them and the team how to communicate in a nonjudgmental way about the practice. I also wanted to learn how to support survivors who have gone through it.

What have you learned or most enjoyed at the retreat?

I was blown away by the kinship aspect of the retreat. I was born and raised in the US, and the Bohras I knew were the families that I grew up with, so it's a pretty small close-knit group. We're all very similar when it comes down to our backgrounds, and so at the retreat I got to meet Bohras who had different life experiences. The conversations were interesting, honest, and insightful. 

It was great to see how people’s ideas for activism were evolving throughout the weekend. We talked about what we thought our roles were in the community and how that relates to helping stop FGC. We also talked about how we can discuss FGC with our families and how it’s important to be able to have those real conversations.

I already had compassion for the people impacted by FGC, but the retreat really helped me build a toolkit of how to talk about it and support people. Also, I think as a doctor, as a parent, and as a woman, I feel there's an obligation that I have to protect young girls. There are a lot of bad things going on in the world, but this particular issue is close to me in a way that I feel like I can make a difference.

It’s important to recognize that FGC occurs across the world and it's not limited by religion or socioeconomic status or geography. At the retreat, we brought in a physician who I had worked with in the past who performs surgeries and provides medical care related to FGC – and there are a lot of people in Atlanta that need this medical care. She gave a great primer on some of the medical issues that come up with FGC, and that was extremely impactful.

How do you think this retreat will inform your work as an activist?  

This retreat helped me clarify the next steps for my activism. It made me realize that I had a lot more questions about the legal part of FGC. So now this year I’m on a committee with Sahiyo working on a legal timeline to help us understand and break down what's happening state-by-state in the US and potentially address what's going on in other countries.

This is a topic where people can feel like they are making small changes, and they may feel like it's not going to make a difference. But when you look at these timelines, you see how people's voices are influencing incremental changes that add up quickly. 

What work are you doing currently or hoping to do in the future?

The most important thing that I learned from the retreat is that I want people around me to know about the topic, not in a sensational way, but in a grounded and respectful way that encourages positive change. I think it helps bring awareness to the Bohra community, because it’s so hush-hush. Being vocal about FGC allows it to come up more in day-to-day conversations. That makes it easier for people to speak out and  not feel afraid or embarrassed. I plan to continue speaking out about FGC and hope people feel welcome to come talk to me about their need for healing and how to prevent girls around them from experiencing FGC.

Join us at the next three-day Sahiyo Activists Retreat, taking place virtually this year from July 26-July 28. Sign up now by June 1st.

Related:

• Join us for Sahiyo’s 8th annual Activists Retreat
• Rally, Revel, Repeat : A Changemakers Retreat!

By Sheena Vasani and Mariya Taher

It’s hard to believe, but in monetary terms, all it could take to avert one case of FGM/C is $95 – roughly the cost many of us pay for a year or so of Netflix. Despite that fact, one of the reasons female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is on the rise worldwide is because of a lack of adequate funding. 

How is that possible?

That’s one of the many questions Sahiyo and other members of The Global Platform for Action to End FGM/C coalition explored on March 15th during a parallel event at the 68th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68). Hosted by the Global Platform coalition in partnership with the United States Mission to the United Nations, the “From Rhetoric to Reality: Closing the Funding Gap to End FGM/C” event sought to educate, mobilize, and inspire stakeholders from around the world with innovative ways to close the gap. 

Speakers included experts and influential change-makers from around the world, including:

• Wisal Ahmed, Global Coordinator of the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
• Asenath Mwithigah,  the CEO of Orchid Project 
• Susan Gibbs/Sarah Roma, Director of the Women's Rights Program at Wallace Global Fund
• Stephanie Baric, Senior Gender-Based Violence Technical Advisor (FGM/C & CEFMU), USAID's Office of Gender Equality & Women's Empowerment  
• Sharon Armstrong, the Director-General of the Social Development Bureau at Global Affairs Canada

Jaha Dukureh, the UN Women Goodwill Ambassador for Africa on FGM and child marriage, was unable to attend as she was in The Gambia working to keep a law banning FGM alive. However, she still shared with us a short video message addressing funding needs and awareness about the situation in The Gambia. Meanwhile, international conceptual artist Sophia Wallace — who is well-known for her viral project Cliteracy —also donated her art to the event.

As a part of the event, Sahiyo and others presented some eye-opening – and at times, jaw-dropping – findings. 

For example, the world has seen a 15 percent increase in the total number of FGM/C survivors compared to data released in 2016, according to UNICEF data presented at the event. That equates to an additional 30 million people, meaning a total of 230 million girls and women alive today have undergone FGM/C.

Because of this, FGM/C rates must decline globally 27 times faster if we hope to eliminate the practice by 2030. We also need $3.3 billion just to avert 24.6 million FGM/C cases in 31 priority countries by 2030, a UNFPA report reveals. Yet as only $275 million in development assistance will be spent between 2020-2030, that leaves a funding gap of over $2.1 billion. And that’s just for the 31 countries the report focused on – not the additional 60+ countries where FGC is also practiced.

It’s safe to say the situation is pretty dire.

And yet despite all those numbers, the event also gave us reasons to have hope. The event sought to bring together various stakeholders and government figures to help elevate conversation and commitment toward closing the funding gap.  To that end, we promoted the Kigali Declaration, specifically calling for a Global Commitment Summit to significantly increase funding for FGM/C prevention and response efforts worldwide – and especially shift funding directly toward frontline, grassroots activists.

UNICEF data reveals that half of the progress made in the last three decades happened in just the past 10 years alone. This rapid change reflects changing attitudes towards FGM/C – in other words, efforts by organizations like Sahiyo to change social norms are working.

But to get rid of FGM/C sooner rather than later, we also need increased funding – and now. Join us in calling on governments and donors worldwide to put their money where their mouth is – sign and share the Kigali Declaration with your network, and spread the word.

Sheena Vasani joined Sahiyo as its Editorial Coordinator in January 2024. She is a journalist with over a decade of experience working for major media outlets, startups, and charities. A strong believer in the power of the written word to enact social change and heal, she has gone viral multiple times for her work on South Asian mental health issues. 

When and how did you first get involved with Sahiyo?

I actually stumbled upon Sahiyo years ago while launching a mental health section as an activist writing for a South Asian publication called Brown Girl Magazine. Mariya had contributed a poignant blog about FGC that touched me deeply, so I started following Sahiyo on social media. And then as the years went, a series of events led me to pursue other passions in tech journalism. And then one day, like five billion years later, I saw a job listing for the position. It was perfect timing, because I’d just been thinking how much I wanted to involve myself more with feminist initiatives again, and so of course I immediately jumped on the opportunity. Like, literally! It was a Saturday and I was about to hop into the shower, but instead jumped back in bed and started working on my application (don’t worry, I eventually showered).

What does your work with Sahiyo include?

So many things! My work involves interviewing survivors and allies as well as writing and editing blog posts, but it also includes outreach, brainstorming ideas, and other related tasks. I’m also currently working on formulating a larger, data-driven strategy for the editorial team so we can make even more impact!

How has your involvement with Sahiyo impacted your life? 

It’s only been four months but it has been transformative, honestly. I’ve not experienced FGC/M, but I do know what it’s like to experience trauma and suffer in silence because of South Asian cultural norms rooted in sexism. I can empathize with that sense of shame and stigma as well as that sense of isolation.

Through each meeting I have, every person I virtually meet, and every story I read, I feel like I heal a little more and become a better person. So many of the individuals I've interviewed leave me with a sense of awe and inspire me, as well, including the ones who are just starting their healing journeys. Despite their pain, they’re not just trying to survive – they’re trying to thrive. Each has gone through the depths of hell and yet have risen from the ashes, lighting up and changing the world with that fire. It’s so moving to witness, and there have been times when it’s reignited a similar flame within me when I’ve felt low.

What’s beautiful, too, is that my work with Sahiyo has sparked some really great conversations about gender-based violence in South Asian communities with my Mom, who I am a caregiver for as she has Parkinson’s Disease. Like a lot of South Asians, my parents were brought up in East Africa. My Mom knew girls who had gone through FGC, but it was just one of the many forms of gender-based violence going on in her community during that time (think like, late 40s, early 50s – so end of World War 2 and around when the British just left India, so very, very different times!). So she never got the space to talk about how that impacted her, and she didn’t even know what the official, modern term was for it until I started this job. She knows what it is now, though, and it’s inspired a little sense of activism in her too. My Mom has endured a lot as a quiet Indian housewife from more traditional times that’s left a lot of scars, so it’s beautiful watching her get angry as hell about FGC, challenge outdated beliefs, and ultimately heal herself – and the South Asian culture, to an extent – as we have these discussions.

By: Jaha Dukureh, a Gambian anti-female genital mutilation campaigner and the founder and executive director of Safe Hands for Girls. Jaha was named TIME Magazine's 100 Most Influential People for 2016 and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2018.

After I spent years campaigning to outlaw female circumcision, finally my country started to listen. In 2015, The Gambia banned Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and imposed penalties on those who perform or practice it. As a survivor of FGM who played an instrumental role in this fight, I felt ecstatic when I heard the news.

But it was a joy that wasn’t to last.  If certain politicians have their way, the law will soon disappear and more young children will have to suffer the same pain I did. Some, like my half-sister, may lose their lives.

As a survivor of FGM born and raised in The Gambia, a Serahule, and a proud Muslim, my journey has been one of pain, resilience, and unwavering determination. I have learned that it is important to recognize my roots and the challenges that come from speaking up, especially if you are a woman and of my background. Today, as I reflect on the challenges that lie ahead, I am compelled to raise my voice in defense of the progress that has been made in protecting our daughters, our sisters, and future generations of women and girls.

I speak up for myself, for my generation, and for the millions of girls who will hear our story and say enough is enough. I will never perform this practice on my daughter. That statement, in itself, is the ultimate victory. And yet sadly, there are still many parents in The Gambia who are fighting for this practice to live on, ignoring our cries for it to end. 

Still, we refuse to be silenced and stand idly by as our daughters' bodies are mutilated, their futures stolen, and their dreams shattered. That's why, as the world celebrated women's achievements during Women’s History Month in March, we launched a petition to stop the repeal of the ban on FGM in The Gambia. 

But to be effective – to actually be heard – we need all of you to help tell our parents, “Enough is enough.”

Our campaign has given voices to many young girls who continue to unapologetically lead movements to help change social norms. But today, we also need to be honest with ourselves. As much as I am emotionally invested in the campaign, I have always recognized my limitations, especially when I decided to bring my campaign home. If you have the chance to watch Jaha’s Promise, you will understand what I am trying to explain. I was returning home to join a decades-long campaign to end this harmful practice, but it wasn’t easy. 

As young people, we developed a whole society approach to eradicating the practice. This required us to organize but also to engage with those who had different views than us. Those Gambians for whom FGM is considered a sacred passage that women have to go through. Those fathers, like mine, who gave consent to the practice without understanding what we go through.

Like in many parts of Africa, FGM remains a deeply entrenched tradition in The Gambia, affecting a significant portion of the population.  According to the United Nations Population Fund, 75 percent of women and girls aged 15-49 have undergone some form of FGM. This practice cuts across ethnic, religious, and cultural boundaries, affecting various communities nationwide. If lawmakers overturn the law now, the numbers will only increase.

The proposed repeal is not just a legal issue; it is a moral imperative, a test of our humanity, and a reflection of our values as a society. It sends a dangerous message that the rights and dignity of girls are expendable, that their bodies are mere vessels for the preservation of harmful traditions. 

But we know better. We know that FGM is a violation of human rights, a form of violence against women and girls, and a practice that should end with us. That's why we are mobilizing, organizing, and uniting to raise the alarm for the rights of all girls to live free from fear and harm. 

Our petition is more than just signatures on a page; it is a collective call to our parents to listen to the voice of reason and understand the harm that we go through. As a survivor, I know firsthand the pain and trauma inflicted by FGM. But I also know the power of resilience, the strength of solidarity, and the hope that springs from the darkest of places. 

Join me – join all of us survivors – as we raise our voices, protect our girls, and say no to the repeal of the ban on FGM in The Gambia.  Sign our petition, raise awareness, and stand in solidarity with survivors of FGM. Together, we can protect our girls and build a world where every woman and girl is empowered to live a life of dignity, freedom, and equality. We owe it to our daughters, our sisters, and ourselves to mobilize our communities and demand accountability from our leaders. 

Our parents aren't listening to us — our politicians aren't listening to us — which is why we need your voice, too. With your help, our collective voices will be so loud they’ll be impossible to ignore.

#StopFGMRepealGambia #ProtectOurGirls #EndFGM 

Jaha Dukureh, Founder & CEO of Safe Hands for Girls

Council member Nalafem Collective

The Gambia

Related links:

• Behind the Wall by Gambian activist and FGC survivor Isatou Jallow
• UNICEF released new data on global prevalence of FGM/C 

Farrah Dalal was one of the speakers who participated in our "Quiet Activism and the Psychosocial Impacts of Female Genital Cutting" webinar. Watch a recording of the event here.

By Farrah Dalal

Sharing my story and participating in events to uplift the cause of ending FGM/C always leaves me with feelings of physical heaviness afterwards. Normally, I would take this time to do some self-care, a nourishing meal, a comforting TV show, or a mindless walk through the grocery store. Today, I wanted to describe what I am feeling and release some of this tension through writing. 

As the years have passed, the topic is one that energizes and exhausts me at the same time. I wanted to expand on this, because as an activist and a survivor these two roles are often at odds. It’s hard to do the work, when the work still brings up so much emotion. I have difficulty deciding what to do with myself when the physical symptoms are present, and you realize how much pain the body stores. Giving myself permission to rest after these experiences has been very helpful for me.

During the webinar, I touched a lot on the theme of duality and living as two different people. I think almost anyone can relate to this concept and has experienced it at some point in their lives. For me, in my story, I talked about how exhausting it is to live this way and I had been doing that for the majority of my formative years. 

I am still actively doing the work of integrating these two separate people. A few years ago, I read Know My Name: A Memoir, Chanel Miller’s memoir. For many years she was known as “Emily Doe” in the media during the Stanford swimmer Brock Turner’s sexual assault trial before deciding to come forward about her experience. The book was beautifully written, as she discusses the  psychosocial impacts that manifested after the incident. 

I cried several times while reading it. I saw my younger self reflected in those pages, trying to grapple with who I was and what was being done to me. She so eloquently declares that coming forward – knowing her name – was a part of reclaiming herself and her lost identity – that she was still Chanel. That this was only one part of her, one bad thing that had happened, that shouldn’t erase all of the good things or the good things to come in her life. I couldn’t believe how similar our experiences and our “A-ha” moments were. 

This is around the time that I had decided to also “come forward” and share my story with my name and photo as part of my own healing journey through the “Voices to End FGM/C” project in 2022. No doubt, it was unnerving to share my story publicly. I thought about someone “Googling” me and this very well may be the first thing that comes up – something so personal and private – out there for the whole world to know and judge me for. 

At the same time, my passion for ending this practice takes precedence and the other things seem so small in comparison now. I can understand other survivors could be fearful and hesitant, or “feeling stuck” about sharing their experiences. It took a very long time for me to reach this point of openness, and I think having my own children greatly contributed to my having more of a public role in advancing the conversation to end the practice. 

When my story was released, the weight of what I had been carrying alone for so many years was lifted. Putting it out there was something I not only felt compelled to do, but needed to do for myself. It felt like, “now this is not just my responsibility, but your responsibility too. Here is my name and face and my personal experience and it matters. I am not from a faraway or fictitious land, I am your real family member, friend, neighbor, colleague – a citizen of your community.”

To echo what was shared in the webinar, yes, we need to end this practice in our communities, AND there are still hundreds of thousands of survivors who live among you and need affirming care. When I shared my “Voices” video the amount of support and acknowledgement I received was deeply healing, and even a quiet “thumbs up” or “heart” made me feel seen. I will continue to do the work that honors me. I’m not entirely sure what that will always look like – some days it may be loud, and others it may be quiet – but it will always be a part of my new identity that is still forming. 

Related:

• My story doesn’t end here by Farrah Dalal
• Female Genital Cutting Survivor Support Resources

We are thrilled to announce the launch of the Voices to End FGM/C Screening Guide, an educational resource developed by Sahiyo, Silence Speaks, and the Asian Women’s Shelter. This guide marks a significant step forward in our collective efforts to amplify the voices of survivors, educate people, and mobilize communities to support ending female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C).

Supported by the Wallace Global Fund and the Office for Victims of Crime, U.S. Department of Justice, the guide is designed to help everybody facilitate impactful screenings of digital stories by survivors, activists, and advocates. These stories are not just narratives; they are powerful testimonies of resilience, courage, and the human spirit's ability to overcome.

Why This Guide Matters

FGM/C is a social norm justified by a variety of reasons, yet it carries significant implications for women's health, rights, and well-being. The Voices to End FGM/C Screening Guide stands as a crucial step forward in our collective efforts to raise awareness, foster understanding, and drive change. The guide offers a wealth of tools and templates to assist in organizing screenings of Voices to End FGM/C videos, whether within organizations, schools, or informal gatherings. It aims to create a space for learning, reflection, and action, encouraging participants to move from awareness to advocacy. By hosting a screening, you contribute to a larger dialogue about human rights, gender equality, and the urgent need to end FGM/C.

What You'll Find Inside

The guide serves as a comprehensive toolkit for anyone committed to ending FGM/C, providing the following information: 

• Detailed screening guidelines 
• Discussion prompts
• Event planning tools
• Resources for organizing engaging and informative screenings
• A selection of digital stories from our Voices project

We encourage you to visit our Voices to End FGM/C website and browse through the diverse narratives from around the globe. 

Join the Movement

By exploring the Voices to End FGM/C Screening Guide, you're taking a significant step towards raising awareness and creating opportunities for dialogue. We hope this guide becomes more than just a resource; we want this guide to serve as a call to action for everyone who believes in the power of storytelling to inspire change.

We invite you to join us in this vital movement. For any questions or to learn more about our Voices program, please reach out to us atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Related:

• Voices to End FGM/C 2023 Cohort Video Screening