Activists Retreat
The first annual Sahiyo Activists Retreat in the US and in India were organized in 2018 for advocates working to end female genital cutting (FGC). The primary aim of these retreats, in each country, is to bring together ‘activists’ speaking out against FGC — people who work either publicly or anonymously to raise community awareness about the need to end this harmful practice. The retreat now takes place annually.
Sahiyo understands it takes many to bring about social change, and as a result, we work with individuals, organizations, and coalitions in a collaborative fashion. As advocates and activists, we are better together and can find the best solutions if we collaborate and work as one.
We also recognize that many advocates speaking out against FGC have been working in isolation from each other. The Sahiyo Activists Retreat work towards building a network of Bohra activists by:
1) Strengthening relationships with one another
2) Sharing best practices and providing tools for activists to utilize in their anti-FGC advocacy work moving forward.
The retreats are also an opportunity for advocates/activists to discuss both challenges and opportunities they have found in advocating against FGC.
History and Impact:
In 2017, Sahiyo conducted a Needs Assessment survey of anti-FGC activists and found that discussion among anti-FGC activists helped to further understand their challenges and ways of overcoming those challenges to end FGC.
Since 2018, Sahiyo has hosted annual Activists Retreat in response to these findings and in recognition that many activists had been working in isolation and desired to be connected with others. Sahiyo Activist Retreat helps to strengthen relationships amongst the activists, who are often geographically distant from one another, and allow for best practices and tools to be shared; as a result activists are now utilizing these best practices and tools in their advocacy work, and various new collaborations have formed between and amongst the retreat attendees.
Since the program's inception, Sahiyo has trained over 70 advocates, who have gone on to organize and host workshops to raise awareness of FGC; participated in outreach campaigns within communities; and given testimony at policy briefings in various states on FGC.
Check out reports from our previous retreats:
- Sahiyo U.S. 2021 Activists Retreat (Virtual)
- Sahiyo U.S. 2019 Activists Retreat (Brooklyn, NY)
- Sahiyo U.S. 2018 Activists Retreat (Brooklyn, NY)
