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 efforts to collaboratively work towards ending it. Since 2018, over 60 people have taken part. Participants of the Retreat are often people speaking out against FGC — who work either publicly or anonymously — to raise community awareness about the need to end this harmful practice. Anyone with a connection to the Bohra community based in the U.S. is welcome to apply! 

Apply to the 2023 in-person Activists Retreat here.

Bohra U.S. Activists Retreat 2023

Frequently Asked Questions 

1. Who is this retreat for?

The Sahiyo Activists Retreat is open to anyone who is connected to the Bohra community and who is interested in ending the practice of khatna and other types of FGM/C. Learn more about what the retreat is all about from past retreat attendees who have written for our blog! Also watch this video.

2. I am not an “active” member of the Bohra community, am I still welcome?

Yes! You do not have to be a “card-carrying” member of the Bohra community to attend. Your connection to the Bohra community can be cultural and/or familial. 

3. I was not subjected to khatna/I was subjected to khatna but I do not recall my experience/I was subjected to khatna but I have had no adverse effects from my experience. Am I still welcome?

Yes! One does not have to be subjected to trauma to have an interest in ending the practice. Everyone has a responsibility to do something and everyone interested in doing something can benefit by meeting with others who want to take action and learn more about what can be done.

4. How much does it cost to attend the Retreat?

There are no fees to attend Sahiyo’s Activists Retreat. Travel scholarships are also available to reimburse Retreat attendees for their domestic travel.

5. Will I have to get my own hotel and pay for my own food?

Nope! We do not want cost to be a barrier to attending this event and have sought out funding to be able to support all retreat attendees with lodging, travel, and food costs will be covered by Sahiyo. If you have any food restrictions, preferences, or allergies, please do not hesitate to let us know as we get closer to the date of the event! 

6. Is it possible to attend the Retreat virtually?

While Sahiyo has hosted Virtual Retreats for activists in the past, the September 2023 retreat is intended to be an in-person retreat. We have not hosted an in-person event since 2019, and are looking forward to the connection that can come through gathering in-person. If you are interested in attending virtual retreats in the future, please be on the lookout for future virtual retreat announcements! We would still love to see you in person in September! 

7. Is it possible to attend the retreat for just a single day?

The purpose of the Activists Retreat is to allow activists to get together over the course of an entire weekend to build community, find support, and plan for future activism to end khatna or FGC. We ask that retreat attendees be able to attend all three days of the retreat in order to participate in all of the events, discussions, and presentations we have planned

8. What should I bring to the Activists Retreat?

Bring yourself, a positive attitude, and some space in your suitcase for swag if you’re traveling in to attend!

9. What sorts of things will I learn at the Activists Retreat?

A more complete agenda of events will be released to all Retreat Attendees closer to the date of the event. At this time, Retreat Attendees can expect to meet other activists, speak about their experiences as activists, and also learn from guest speakers. We will also have discussions about future activism, community building, and the Sahiyo Activists Toolkit. Learn more about Activists Retreat by visiting our blog and hearing from past participants themselves.

Do you have more questions? 

Email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. today!

On June 23rd, RTI’s Addressing Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting Training and Technical Assistance Project (AFTTAP) team organized the event Roundtable on Systems Change to Address FGM/C Perspectives from State and Municipal Coalitions. The roundtable featured state and municipal coalitions and working groups from across the United States that work to address FGM/C domestically. Sahiyo U.S. Executive Director Mariya Taher facilitated a panel discussion during the roundtable and featured coalition representatives came from Washington State, Connecticut, New York City, Minnesota, Greater Los Angeles, and Massachusetts. Panelists were able to provide insight into their initiatives, processes, and provide ideas on how they would like to see the prevention, support work, and advocacy surrounding FGC expand.

Some coalitions focused more on advancing legislation on FGC while others focused on raising awareness of FGM/C. Joanne Golden, a Sahiyo U.S. Advisory Board member and founding member of the Massachusettes Coalition, spoke about the coalition’s success in passing state legislation to address FGC in August 2020. 

Preventing and responding to FGM/C requires effective collaboration across systems and this roundtable; overall, this event created a dialogue for U.S. based coalitions to discusses effective forms of collaboration for the future in the hopes of ending FGM/C in this country.

Sahiyo is excited to announce that our U.S. Executive Director, Mariya Taher, has received a Global Woman Award from the Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation, for her work in Policy Making and Legal accomplishments. The Global Woman Awards were created in 2015 as a way to recognize the achievements of women, men, and students who are involved in the movement to end FGM/C. Each Awardee is carefully vetted and Sahiyo is so proud that Mariya has received this well-deserved award for all her hard work. Learn more about the Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation.

In May 2023, South Asian SOAR launched a Zine to commemorate and honor the stories of 16 South Asian survivors of gender-based violence who took part in their 2022 pilot storytelling workshop. The program consisted of a Storytelling Workshop, ongoing Story Circles, & additional opportunities to build community and continue working on stories (learn more about the program). The Zine was co-created by and features the stories of survivors, told through narratives, poetry, videos, artwork, and more. One of the pieces featured in the Zine is Sahiyo co-founder and Executive Director Mariya Taher’s story Shattered Silences, from Sahiyo’s Voices to End FGM/C project. SOAR seeks to empower South Asian survivors with the goal of moving towards a future free of violence.

View the Zine here.

On July 19th, Sahiyo Programs Coordinator Catherine Cox will be joined by Massachusetts Pediatric SANE Mildrine Tulysse for a training session at the School Nurses International Conference. This presentation is part of a multi-day training for school nurses and school health advocates coming from all around the world, and will take place in-person at Northeastern University. This presentation will explore FGM/C and discuss resources available for School Nurses who may come in contact with students impacted by FGC, and who are looking to better understand how to provide trauma-informed care while practicing cultural competency and sensitivity.

The Women Deliver 2023 Conference (WD 2023) is scheduled to take place in-person, as well as virtually, from 17-20 July 2023, in Kigali, Rwanda. The conference is expected to convene 6000 people in Kigali, and over 200,000 people online. 

Before the opening ceremony on July 17th, there will be a series of Pre-Conferences held over two days from July 15-16th. Sahiyo is incredibly proud to co-host and be part of the planning of this year’s Pre-conference on FGM/C -Catalyzing Global Action to End FGM/C. 

About FGM/C Preconference:

The FGM/C Pre-Conference, Catalyzing Global Action to End FGM/C, will be a space of shared solidarity, bringing together activists and organizations working to end FGM/C across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and America. It will promote knowledge exchange, interregional collaboration, and global cooperation with the aim of catalyzing collective action and movement building, designing actionable commitments, and working toward substantive structural change.

Hosts: The Global Platform to End FGM/C, Orchid Project, ARROW, End FGM European Network, Sahiyo, Equality Now, Amref Health Africa, The Girl Generation, IPPF ARAB World Region, U.S. End FGM/C Network, and End FGM Canada Network

Date and time: July 16, 2023 from 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM CAT

More information: https://www.wd2023.org/pre-conferences

About Women Deliver 2023:

The Women Deliver 2023 Conference, using intersectional feminist principles, will address a wide range of issues impacting girls and women– including (but not limited to) climate change, gender- based violence (GBV) and unpaid care work. The theme of WD2023 is Spaces, Solidarity and Solutions. Learn more about the Conference here.  

History of the Global Platform: 

At the FGM/C Pre-Conference ahead of Women Deliver 2019 in Vancouver Canada, the organisations that would come to make up the Global Platform for Action to end FGM/C came together in recognition of the imperative for us to work together - as civil society, donors and allies – to make FGM/C a practice of the past. This represented the first time that global FGM/C activists from Africa to Europe, from Australia to Asia and to North America came together to unite voices around a global call to action to end FGM/C. The Asia Network to end FGM/C was also formed during Women Deliver 2019.

The global and regional partnerships that were formed on that occasion have grown and strengthened their internal cooperation, working towards common advocacy goals at the regional and global levels respectively.

On August 1st, RTI International will host a webinar on digital storytelling with speakers Mariya Taher from Sahiyo and Amy Hill from StoryCenter. Since 2018, Sahiyo and StoryCenter have collaborated on the Voices to End FGM/C project. In this 90 minute introductory webinar, the webinar will provide an overview of the project's theoretical underpinnings, participatory media workshop methodology, and approach to sharing stories for education and advocacy. Sample Voices videos will be screened, and ample time will be available for questions and discussion. 

Register for the event here.

On May 30th, RTI International hosted a training for social workers on female genital cutting (FGC). Recognizing that many first responders and clinical providers in the U.S. are not adequately equipped to address FGC in their practice, this training provided continuing education units for licensed social workers. The training provided an introductory foundation for understanding what FGC is, including its prevalence in the U.S. and globally, and best practices for working with survivors of FGC. Overall, the workshop sought to increase attendees’ confidence in talking about and addressing FGC in their practice and provided resources to build further knowledge on the topic.