Date: March 18, 2024 

Time: 9AM-10:30AM Pacific/ 12PM-1:30PM Eastern

Register here: https://bit.ly/RTIxSahiyo. 

On March 18, Sahiyo and other FGM/C advocates will discuss the pivotal role community engagement plays in raising awareness of FGM/C and ultimately ending the practice. Led by Sahiyo’s U.S. Executive Director Mariya Taher, panelists will share effective ways to engage with FGM/C impacted communities. We invite everybody to attend the virtual panel discussion!

Speakers will include: 

• Wonder Guannu, who is the African Cultural Alliance of North America’s Project Coordinator for the FGM/C Project in Philadelphia
• Samman Masud, who is Sahiyo’s Community Engagement Coordinator
• Breanne Lash, who is the Director of Programs for Nile Sisters Development Initiative in Los Angeles and San Diego

Who should attend this virtual event?

Anybody who wants to increase engagement with individuals and communities impacted by FGM/C.

What will the event be about?

Panelists will share diverse case studies, illustrating real-world examples of community engagement in this field. These discussions will dive into the intricacies of building partnerships, mobilizing resources, influencing systems, and sustaining community and individual-level involvement to improve the wellbeing of those affected by FGM/C. 

Attendees will:

• Gain valuable insights into the challenges and successes of initiatives to address FGM/C
• Learn and be inspired by the power of community engagement in creating impact 
• Gain knowledge about specific strategies
• Have the opportunity to discuss any workshop approaches that they have used in their communities

Register for the event here: https://bit.ly/RTIxSahiyo. 

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

PS: Sahiyo’s Silent Auction fundraising event kicks off on March 6-10 while the Live Virtual Comedy Show will take place on March 7. We aim to raise $15,000 in support of our work. Click here to donate auction items, money, or sponsor the event.

This survey is part of a study to better understand the interests, motivations, and expectations of survivors of female genital cutting (FGC) in electing to undergo clitoral reconstructive surgery (CRS) in Canada. The aims of the research are the following:

• To develop a greater understanding of survivors’ interests, motivations, and/or expectations in electing to undergo clitoral reconstructive surgery
• To identify how well a survivor’s surgical outcomes meet their initial expectations
• To improve the referral process for survivors who wish to undergo clitoral reconstructive surgery
• To highlight the importance of quality care for survivors in Canada

This survey is open to survivors who have undergone clitoral reconstructive surgery (CRS), survivors who have not yet undergone the procedure but are interested in doing so, and survivors who have chosen not to undergo CRS. The survey is split into several sections: demographics, interest in CRS, and experience with CRS. The questions are  asked in multiple choice format, some ranking, and a few open-ended questions. The estimated time to complete the survey is about 10 minutes.

The survey will be  open until May 2024. All  responses will be strictly confidential. To learn more about this study, please contact the principal investigator, Kiah Leone, from the School of Health Sciences at the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To take part in the survey, please click here or scan the QR code below.

“Everything I learned from the workshop was gold to me. I enjoyed all the sessions and the new skills I acquired in creating a digital story (...) about a scar. A scar that my primary duty bearers believed was necessary to have in order to be labeled as the “purified” girl, for marriage, as opposed to being referred to as a “solimaa”, the uncut girl. A scar that will resemble a fresh wound for the rest of my life. 

Here I am today, after being silent for many years. I now am not afraid to talk in public about stopping FGM/C.I wish I didn’t have this scar. I wish you didn’t either. But we don’t have to be silent about it.”

~Amie Kujabi, Voices Storyteller

Amie is one of nine storytellers who participated in the latest cohort of the Voices to End FGM/C project. Each participant bravely created videos sharing their experiences with female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), with the ultimate goal of ending this harmful practice. And starting on January 17th, Sahiyo will begin sharing these short videos along with reflection blogs from each storyteller.

A collaboration between Sahiyo, StoryCenter, and Asian Women’s Shelter (AWS), every year the Voices to End FGM/C project brings together survivors, activists, and others impacted by FGM/C from around the world. Together, these storytellers heal by connecting and sharing their stories, while growing as leaders. So far, we’ve held seven workshops in the past six years, supporting over 70 courageous souls from more than 19 countries to share their experiences.

Along with being therapeutic, these stories are tools we use to plant the seeds of greater social change. Through watching these videos, we’ve educated governments about the need for policies that protect future generations of girls from FGM/C. The videos also teach healthcare professionals and other service providers about the impact of this practice, so they can better help survivors.

“I just hope people that receive this message understand how wrong this is and if there's anyone who's in my shoes who's lost a friend this way or someone they loved, that way they can get up and advocate and they can start speaking against this practice. I hope when they receive this message, they realize the danger.”

~Gugu Makhari, Voices Storyteller

We’ll be updating the blog with the videos and reflection blogs from this year’s cohort when they’re available very soon. In the meantime, you can support storytellers from past cohorts by watching their videos on this playlist.

For further questions, contact Aries at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

On December 6th, Sahiyo and Tight Lipped co-hosted an empowering webinar titled, "Pain, Stigma, and Sexual Health: Healing Through Storytelling.” The event shed light on the different aspects of healing through candid and intimate accounts from our speakers.

Each speaker fearlessly shared their personal narratives, revealing the complexities of navigating chronic vulvovaginal and pelvic pain conditions and the intricacies of relationships with healthcare providers, partners, and broader societal stigmas. Notably, one of the speakers, a women’s rights activist, mentioned how her personal health experiences led her to channel her energy toward advocating to end the practice of FGC in India, bringing an important angle to our conversation around sexual health.

Heartfelt moments emerged in this virtual space, as attendees expressed gratitude for the safe and inclusive environment created by the speakers and moderators. Sentiments such as "Your story makes me feel less alone" and “This was very helpful and feels so good to hear others” really underscored the significance of creating a space for shared narratives and discussions.

A sincere thank you to everyone who contributed to making this webinar a deeply enriching and supportive experience.Your openness, engagement, and willingness to embrace these conversations helps us foster connections and understanding.

As we settle into 2024, the Sahiyo family is excited to welcome Sheena Vasani as our new Editorial Coordinator. Sheena, a strong believer in the power of the written world to enact social change and heal, has gone viral multiple times for her work on South Asian women’s rights and mental health issues. 

Rachel Wine, Sahiyo’s former Editorial Coordinator, will transition into the role of Research Coordinator. She is eager to lead the efforts in disseminating Sahiyo’s original research findings from the Critical Intersections project, and support partnerships with students and independent researchers.

Lastly, we say farewell to Programs Associate Meg Sinnott, who after nearly two years supporting the efforts of Sahiyo’s policy work and various programs, transitioned off of the team last month. We wish her luck in all future endeavors!

On November 21st, Sahiyo’s Research Coordinator, Rachel Wine, and Training and Technical Assistance Coordinator, Aries Nuño, presented findings from the first stage of Sahiyo’s Critical Intersections Research Project to The Girl Generation. The findings, published in the Examining the Current State of Critical Intersections: Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting and Social Oppressions report in October, were derived from a scoping review on the topic of intersectionality. More specifically, this report explores connections between the anti-female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) sphere and other social justice movements, as well as the complex identities of survivors and activists, through an array of literature such as peer-reviewed literature, editorials, opinion pieces, reviews, and social media communications.

The presentation shared background information on the Critical Intersections Research Project, tracing its roots back to Sahiyo’s 2021 public webinar titled Critical Intersections: Anti-Racism and Female Genital Cutting (FGC). Additionally, the presentationexplored the seven core themes derived from our scoping review: Religion, Race, Bodily Autonomy, Queer Gender & Sexuality, Feminism, Law & Policy, and Climate Change, highlighting  how they intersect with FGM/C. Lastly, Aries and Rachel detailed the next steps for the project, including the publication of two reports on original mixed-methods research, expected in 2024.

The Sahiyo team was thrilled to be met with questions from The Girl Generation about the various core themes derived from the research, as well as some findings to be shared in the upcoming reports. Many thanks to Esmael Omar for helping make this opportunity a reality!

If you or your organization are interested in hosting a presentation on Sahiyo’s Critical Intersections Research Project, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.

On February 6th & 7th, the End FGM Canada Network will be hosting a conference, Taking Action on Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting in Canada & Beyond. This conference aims to observe February 6th, The International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, through two days of collective action.

Sahiyo U.S. Executive Director Mariya Taher will be a panelist for the fourth session: Survivors Voices: A Panel Discussion on Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting for Survivors on Feb 7th at 10 am EST. 

The Network invites participants to join in taking a deep dive into the issue of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and develop the understanding and skills needed to support FGM/C survivors and contribute to Canada's anti-FGM/C movement.

Learn more about the conference here.

We’re thrilled to share an exciting update from our Voices to End FGM/C project - our NEW podcast! 

Since 2017, this project has brought together 70 storytellers from 20+ countries. While they crafted powerful short videos during our workshops, so much of their narratives remained unexplored. If you’ve always wanted to know more about FGM/C, or if you’re wondering why, as a feminist or social justice activist, you should care about the topic, tune in now.

Our podcast journey begins with the release of:

• Episode Zero: Inspiration
• Episode One: Anger and Healing 
• Episode Two: The Grebo Bush 

LISTEN NOW: Episodes are available on the Voices to End FGM/C website, as well as on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.