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.

At Sahiyo, we believe in creating a space where all voices are heard and celebrated. We acknowledge the unique experiences of Queer survivors within the FGC community and aim to provide support, inclusivity, and joy! In celebration of Pride Month, we asked members of our community what joy looks like to them: Umme Kulsoom Arif "My grandmother made a living making lace borders for dupattas and ridas when my father and his siblings were growing up, and now I make blankets for my family and friends. Though our relationship is not always an easy one, separated by generations and miles of ocean, I still have the ponchos, purses, and scarves she made me, her love and determination woven into every beautiful stitch. I may not have the patience she had to make intricate lace patterns, but I like to think I make up for it by crafting blankets large enough to wrap yourself in — my own way of showing the people I love how much they matter to me. The two blankets shown are ones I made for my parents — and one of them has over three miles of yarn in it!"

Check out Sahiyo's Instagram for more this Pride Month!

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.

Dear Maasi is a column about everything you wanted to know about sex and relationships but were afraid to ask! It’s a partnership between Sahiyo and WeSpeakOut, and is for all of us who have questions about khatna (female genital mutilation/cutting or FGM/C) and how it impacts our bodies, minds, sexualities, and relationships. We welcome you to submit your anonymous questions. 

Dear Maasi,  

I am a man, and I have a few questions about FGM/C. I am wondering why it is that women who have gone through FGM/C continue to do it to their young ones? 

— Anonymous 

Dear Anonymous, 

Thank you for this question—it’s so important that men engage in these conversations too. It does sound counterintuitive that someone who has experienced FGM/C would wish to inflict it on their kids. But this issue is complex.  

• The writer and activist Mona Eltahawy asserts that “women are the foot soldiers of the patriarchy.” This means that while the men hold the power and make the rules, women are required to enforce them, consciously and unconsciously. Women often participate in patriarchy to remain safely within the bounds of community expectations and to resist the risk of being ostracized or outcast.  
• Leyla Hussein, a survivor, activist, and psychotherapist, challenges people to think about the ways that men quietly but directly support the practice, financially and morally. Maybe it’s not all on the women? 

I also think that to perpetuate FGM/C, the survivor must believe that FGM/C doesn’t cause harm. This belief is maintained by: 

• Not being able or willing to challenge or disobey religious/cultural leaders who spread myths that FGM/C is required, harmless, or beneficial. 
• The secretive, taboo nature of this social norm means that it’s hard to talk about it, let alone question its harm. 
• A lack of sexual education. This results in poor knowledge about sexual pleasure and function. It also helps to maintain toxic and patriarchal notions about sexuality and gender norms. 
• The traumatic and gaslighting nature of FGM/C may result in survivors doubting their own experience and/or not remembering some or all the details. 
• Another aspect of the trauma is that some survivors might not want to question FGM/C’s psychosexual harms, because it means facing a Pandora’s box they are not ready to open. Instead, they may steadfastly refuse to acknowledge the harm and opt to stay in denial of both their own and others’ pain. 

Silence maintains the status quo. Thankfully, we’re getting louder! Sahiyo, WeSpeakOut, and other survivor-led groups raise awareness and create spaces for storytelling and dialogue.  

And there is a group for male allies who would like to help end FGM/C – Bhaiyo – which I hope you’ll tell your friends about. 

Anonymous, I hope that clears up some of your confusion. Stay tuned for answers to your other questions, which I’ll get to in the coming months.  

And as always, remember that sexual pleasure is our birthright! 

—Maasi

About Maasi, aka Farzana Doctor:
Farzana is a novelist and psychotherapist in private practice. She’s a founding member of WeSpeakOut and the End FGM/C Canada Network. She loves talking about relationships and sexuality! Find out more about her at http://www.farzanadoctor.com

Disclaimer:
While Farzana is full of good advice, this column won’t address everyone’s individual concerns and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical or psychological care.

By Sakina Sharp

Sahiyo’s annual Activists Retreat is a great way for both women and men connected to the Bohra community to discuss the issue of khatna, or female genital cutting (FGC). This is my third year attending the event, and I appreciate that this Retreat offers a safe space to have conversations about khatna. The first year I attended the event, I wondered if I belonged; I did not know if there was a space for someone like me who grew up Bohra, but does not currently fulfill all the requirements of the culture. I also wondered if there was a space for those Bohras who do “all the things,” and stand up against the practice of khatna. 

When I attended the Retreat, I realized that there was space for both. I found the Retreat to be cathartic, and it gave me an opportunity to process what had happened to me as a child. During this recent Retreat, the question of belonging came up again, but this time with a different flavor. Some participants wondered if they belonged because they had not personally undergone FGC. We all wonder if we belong, and the truth is, we all do. Men belong because we need their voices in the rooms where discussions on FGC are taking place. Women who have not undergone FGC belong because they can prevent future generations from holding on to this practice. Practicing Bohras belong because FGC is not a religious practice; we can be religious and still stand against khatna. Survivors belong because we know first hand the impact of khatna. All of our voices are important, and we all belong.

Learn more about Sahiyo’s Activists Retreat 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.