Join us on June 26th for an engaging and interactive session that offers a unique opportunity for dialogue and reflection surrounding the diverse narratives of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). Through the powerful storytelling of our Voices to End FGM/C program, we will showcase a collection of authentic and compelling stories, each offering a glimpse into the lived experiences, resilience, and courage of individuals impacted by FGM/C.

Webinar details:

• Date:  Jun 26, 2024
• Time: 9-10AM Pacific / 12-1PM Eastern 
• Register: https://bit.ly/FGMCNarratives 

This session aims to foster understanding, empathy, and solidarity as we explore the multifaceted aspects of this issue. Together, let's listen, learn, and engage in meaningful conversations about the impact of FGM/C on individuals and communities. We invite you to bring your curiosity and questions, as we strive to create a safe and open environment for dialogue and reflection.

From the storytellers:

"I was so shocked when I found out that it still happens in some communities around the globe, including the one my sister and I were raised in." - Hatim (Listen)

"As of 2020, estimates are that at least 200 million women and girls have experienced female genital mutilation. This statistic makes me question if I, a trans-non-binary survivor of FGM, am real." - Dena (On Being A Non-Binary Survivor of FGM/C)

"I will never forget, and even if my mind did forget, my body cannot."- Somaya (Permanent Wound)

Don't miss this important event that brings to light the voices and stories of those who have been impacted by FGM/C. You participation contributes to a larger dialogue about human rights, gender equality, and the urgent need to end FGM/C. 

We look forward to seeing you there! Register today here.

On June 13th, we had the privilege of hosting an in-person screening of the Voices to End FGM/C digital storytelling project in Kent, Washington, alongside project partners the US End FGM/C Network, Mother Africa, and the Washington Department of Health. This event provided a platform for courageous Washington-based individuals to share their personal narratives, shedding light on the practice of FGM/C and its profound impact on their lives.

The screening featured powerful videos from participants who bravely addressed the physical, emotional, and social consequences of FGM/C. These stories highlighted the diverse and enduring impacts of the practice, reflecting a wide range of cultural and community contexts. Some storytellers shared their experiences of advocacy efforts to end FGM/C, while others explored how healthcare providers can best support survivors or discussed the effects of FGM/C on their family relationships.

The event also emphasized the significance of Washington State's recent legislative progress, particularly the passage of State Senate Bill 5453 in April 2023, aimed at addressing FGM/C within the state. This milestone underscores the importance of multi-sectorial, holistic approaches involving healthcare, government, nonprofit, and community-based organizations, alongside community members directly impacted by FGM/C.

A special feature of the event was the panel discussion, where two of the storytellers, Muna and Severina, answered questions about their experiences and insights. The discussion covered topics such as the healing process, the need for support and resources, effective strategies for spreading awareness, challenges faced by survivors in seeking medical care, and ways to engage communities, including men and boys, in the conversation to end FGM/C.

The screening in Kent fostered a sense of community and solidarity, highlighting the importance of creating safe spaces for open dialogue and mutual support. Many participants expressed gratitude for having a survivor-centered space where individuals could share and reflect on their experiences. We are deeply grateful to all the storytellers for their courage and the attendees for actively participating in learning more about FGM/C. 

Related:

• Sahiyo U.S. Engages Community Stakeholders in Seattle, Washington to Advance Senate Bill 5453 Initiatives
• Check out and bookmark Sahiyo's Events Calendar

On May 22nd, Sahiyo U.S. had the honor of presenting an FGC 101 training at the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault (ICASA) conference in Springfield, Illinois. This training aimed to raise awareness and educate attendees about the critical issue of female genital cutting (FGC).

Our session provided a comprehensive overview of FGC, including terminology, WHO’s classification of FGC, health impacts, and prevalence globally and in the United States, with specific statistics from Illinois. The presentation emphasized the need for stronger data, enhanced research, and community engagement to improve prevention, protection, and support services for women and girls impacted by FGC.

Jumai Olumo, a dedicated Sahiyo volunteer and PhD candidate studying community psychology with a special focus on FGM/C, attended in person to support the event. Her academic and professional insights made the discussion both informative and personable. The diverse audience included rape crisis center staff from around the state, counselors, advocates, preventionists, and management/leadership, all of whom play a crucial role in supporting survivors of sexual violence.

Participants were struck by the global and local prevalence of FGC, including within the United States. Many attendees were also surprised to learn that only 41 states currently have laws against FGC.

One attendee remarked, "The presentation was incredibly impactful for someone like me who had little knowledge of FGC," while another reflected, "great, informative presentation. Glad to know this organization exists."

The ICASA conference provided an excellent platform for Sahiyo to connect with other organizations and individuals committed to ending sexual violence and supporting survivors. We are grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this important conversation and continue raising awareness.

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 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!

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

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 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.