Monthly Archive

2016

Welcome to our Archives page. On this page you will find a total of 136 of our articles broken down into Months and Years.

Sahiyo participates in the End Violence Against Girls Summit on FGM/C

14 Dec

News & Blog

Sahiyo

Sahiyo participates in the End Violence Against Girls Summit on FGM/C

Sahiyo’s Mariya Taher and Insia Dariwala participated in the End Violence Against Girls: Summit on FGM/C in Washington, DC on December 2, at the U.S. Institute of Peace. ... read more..

As a psychotherapist, I would not recommend khatna

10 Dec

News & Blog

Sahiyo

As a psychotherapist, I would not recommend khatna

(This article was later published in Gujarati. Read the Gujarati version here.) by Anonymous Age: 36 Country: India I am a mental health professional and have been practicing counseling and ther read more..

Why the khatna conversation needs men's voices too

09 Dec

News & Blog

Sahiyo

Why the khatna conversation needs men's voices too

(First published on June 7, 2016) by Ammar Karimjee Age: 24 Country: Pakistan I found out when I was 19. I’d just heard about the practice of female genit read more..

I was cut, but today I am proud to be standing up for myself

08 Dec

News & Blog

Sahiyo

I was cut, but today I am proud to be standing up for myself

(First published on March 16, 2016) Name: Alifya Sulemanji Age: 42 Country: United States I, Alifya Sulemanji went through the atrocity of Female Genital Mutilation. It’s been 35 years but I haven’t f read more..

07 Dec

News & Blog

Sahiyo

Dear daughter, I am sorry you were circumcised

(First published on May 24, 2016) A heartfelt letter from a Bohra father, who wished to remain unnamed, to his grown-up daughter. Read the Gujarati translation of this letter here. Dear Daughte read more..

07 Dec

News & Blog

Sahiyo

વહાલી દીકરી, હું દિલગીર છું તારી ખતના થઇ

વહાલી દીકરી, હું દિલગીર છું તારી ખતના થઇ – એક બોહરા પિતા ની દિલ ની વ્યથા વહાલી દીકરી, ઘણા વર્ષો પહેલા મેં એક ભૂલ કરી. તારી મમ્મીએ આવીને મને કહ્યુ કે હું અપની દીકરી ની ખતના કરાવ છું. મને આ પ્રક્ર... read more..

We must realise that there is an alternative to khatna

06 Dec

News & Blog

Sahiyo

We must realise that there is an alternative to khatna

by Insia Jaliwala Age: 18 Country: India The experience of khatna, not only the actual act but the implications of the practice, was a gradual revelation for me. In the vague haze of childh... read more..

Dec 7: Join our Twitter chat on Type 1 Female Genital Cutting in Asia

06 Dec

News & Blog

Sahiyo

Dec 7: Join our Twitter chat on Type 1 Female Genital Cutting in Asia

Female Genital Cutting is practiced in many different ways, some less severe than others. But is a woman’s experience of such a ritual any less significant if the cutting was “mild”? Love Matters Indi... read more..

Proud to present: ‘A Small Nick or Cut, they say…’

05 Dec

News & Blog

Sahiyo

Proud to present: ‘A Small Nick or Cut, they say…’

Sahiyo is extremely proud to share ‘A Small Nick or Cut, they say’ – a short video produced by Love Matters India and written and directed by our very own Sahiyo co-founder Priya Goswami. Th... read more..

05 Dec

News & Blog

Sahiyo

A letter on khatna by a young Bohra man

by Anonymous Age: 28 Country: United States Hello All, Firstly, I would like to start by telling you how ashamed I feel of being so ignorant about the issue of female khatna and how honored I am ... read more..

04 Dec

News & Blog

Sahiyo

I was stripped of many things the day I was cut

(First published on January 23, 2016) by Mariya Ali Age: 32 Country: United Kingdom I have very few memories of my childhood, but one memory in particular stands out and haunts me to this day. U read more..

I wonder if I would have been a different person if I hadn't been cut

03 Dec

News & Blog

Sahiyo

I wonder if I would have been a different person if I hadn't been cut

by Anonymous Age: 26 Country: India / United States I was about 6 years old when I was taken to a clinic. One doctor and one nurse conducted the “surgery”. It took less than a minute to do it. I ... read more..

02 Dec

News & Blog

Sahiyo

They told me they would call a 'bhoot' if I didn't stop screaming

(First published on February 26, 2016) by Fatema Kabira Age: 19 Country: India Seven years old. I was seven years old when they forced me to have a part of my femininity cut off. I don’t remembe read more..

I will not support khatna even if my in-laws pressurise me

01 Dec

News & Blog

Sahiyo

I will not support khatna even if my in-laws pressurise me

by Ummehani Age: 28 Country: India I was all of five and do not remember much. What I do remember is my mum and my sister taking me to some Aunty’s house on the pretext of meeting a relati... read more..

I am grateful I was able to talk to a therapist about my khatna

30 Nov

News & Blog

Sahiyo

I am grateful I was able to talk to a therapist about my khatna

(First published on January 6, 2016) by Anonymous Age: 30 Country: United States I was not more than seven years old when I recall going into a medical complex on a quiet Sunday afternoon a read more..

I was spared from khatna because my Dadi happened to pass away

29 Nov

News & Blog

Sahiyo

I was spared from khatna because my Dadi happened to pass away

by Anonymous Age: 34 Country: India I came to know about the practice when I was seven years old, but all I knew was that khatna means removing something from your body. My two elder sisters have und... read more..

I don't remember my khatna. But it feels like a violation

28 Nov

News & Blog

Sahiyo

I don't remember my khatna. But it feels like a violation

(First published on February 23, 2016) Zehra Patwa Age: 45 Country: United States In 2014, I saw a video that changed my life. My husband sat me down, told me that this was going to be ups read more..

I was cut, my daughter too, but it stops with my granddaughter

27 Nov

News & Blog

Sahiyo

I was cut, my daughter too, but it stops with my granddaughter

Age: 58 Country: India I was 7 years old when my grandmother told me that she is taking me out. I was so happy and dressed up quickly, expecting to be given some goodies. Instead, I was ta... read more..

Why this Bohra father is guilty about his daughter's Khatna

26 Nov

News & Blog

Sahiyo

Why this Bohra father is guilty about his daughter's Khatna

(First published on May 5, 2016) Name: Yusuf Country: India The fatwa given during the Zikra majlis by Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin in favor of female genital cutting dug up the wound that exists i read more..

Of tattoos, female circumcision and hypocrisy

25 Nov

News & Blog

Sahiyo

Of tattoos, female circumcision and hypocrisy

by Azra Adenwala Age: 21 Country: United States / India (Read the Hindi translation of this article here.) I never truly thought about my khatna (circumcision) until a while ago when I cam... read more..

Announcing 16 Days of Activism with Sahiyo: Join the campaign!

24 Nov

News & Blog

Sahiyo

Announcing 16 Days of Activism with Sahiyo: Join the campaign!

Around the world, one out of every three women experiences some form of gender-based violence. And every year, the United Nations runs an international campaign to bring attention –and funds – to... read more..

Sahiyo Volunteer Spotlight: Chandni Shiyal

11 Nov

News & Blog

Sahiyo

Sahiyo Volunteer Spotlight: Chandni Shiyal

Sahiyo is an organization with the mission to empower Asian communities to end female genital cutting through community collaboration, and this work could not be done without dedicated volunteers... read more..

'I begged my mother not to circumcise me. She listened to me.'

08 Nov

News & Blog

Sahiyo

'I begged my mother not to circumcise me. She listened to me.'

By Anonymous Age: 26 Country: United States (Read the Hindi translation of this article here.) I remember hearing about it for the first time in my Saturday school class. A male teach... read more..

05 Nov

News & Blog

Sahiyo

I deeply resented what was done to my most intimate parts without my permission

Age: 64 Country: United States (Read the Hindi translation of this article here.) It’s time to take a stand against Female Genital Mutilation. It’s long overdue. It wasn’t right when my mother we... read more..

03 Nov

News & Blog

Sahiyo

The sacred self: Reflections on female circumcision by a Singaporean Malay

(Originally posted by BEYONDHIJABSG on 6 FEBRUARY, 2016. Republished here with permission.) Country: Singapore Community: Malay By: Nurul Fadiah Johari I have a memory of my little sister going throug read more..

30 Oct

News & Blog

Sahiyo

'My mom regrets that she allowed khatna to be performed on me'

Age: 34 Country: USA I was six years old when my mom explained to me that I had to undergo the procedure of khatna – that a small surgery would happen on my private parts. I simply understood that it ... read more..

27 Oct

News & Blog

Sahiyo

Let’s Talk About “Sunat Perempuan”

(Originally Posted by BEYONDHIJABSG on 2 FEBRUARY, 2016. Republished here with permission). Country: Singapore Community: Malay By: Afiqa Ab Rahman Rec read more..

Conversations on khatna and social norms with Mumbai community workers

21 Oct

News & Blog

Sahiyo

Conversations on khatna and social norms with Mumbai community workers

On October 6, Sahiyo co-founders Insia Dariwala and Aarefa Johari were given an opportunity to introduce the topic of Female Genital Cutting to a host of grassroots social workers in Mumbai. This oppo... read more..

A Kenyan Woman's Take on FGM/FGC in the Bohra Community

18 Oct

News & Blog

Sahiyo

A Kenyan Woman's Take on FGM/FGC in the Bohra Community

By: Zarina Patel Country of Residence: Kenya Age: 81 years I only very recently heard a fleeting mention of FGM being practiced in the Bohra Community in ... read more..

What can Bohras learn from a new report on the global status of female genital cutting?

16 Oct

News & Blog

Sahiyo

What can Bohras learn from a new report on the global status of female genital cutting?

by Aarefa Johari This August, the Population Council and UK Aid published a unique, comprehensive report on Female Genital Cutting around the world, to serve as a valuable resource for anyone working... read more..