By Alisha Bhagat I first found out about female genital cutting, or khatna, in my community in my twenties; my mother told me it had been done to her. At the time I was shocked. I thought this was something that happened to other people in far off places, not to my mom or Nani …
Continue reading Why I care about khatna: Reflections from the 2019 Sahiyo Activist Retreat
To learn more about the activists retreat, read the summary report. In March 2019, Sahiyo U.S. hosted our second annual activist retreat for women connected to the Bohra community who are concerned about the issue of FGC within the community. Sahiyo understands it takes many to bring about social change, and as a result, we …
Continue reading Sahiyo USA’s Second Annual Activist Retreat: A recap
By Anonymous Country: United States Age: 34 To be honest, it was hard for me to make the decision to go to the Sahiyo Activist Retreat earlier this year. I grew up in the Dawoodi Bohra community in India, and having had my share of challenges with the community that involved threats to my family, …
Continue reading My inner healing at Sahiyo’s Activist Retreat in the U.S.
By Alisha Bhagat Khatna, and Female Genital Cutting (FGC) evoke strong responses. It is seen as a human rights violation, is attributed to the “backwardness” of Islamic peoples, and is a critical part of cultural heritage. For those of us within the Bohra community, our feelings are generally much more complicated. Even for those of …
By Rashida Rangwala The practice of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) in the Bohra community has been a secret and taboo subject for generations. Even today with the education, media and public stories from the survivors who have undergone FGC, the Bohra community truly believes that the practice of FGC on 7-year-old girls is a religious …
By Alifya Sulemanji Sahiyo organized a retreat for FGM survivors and activists in January 2018. I attended the retreat because I am a survivor and I was interested in learning about different views, challenges and perspectives of other survivors and activists who were planning to attend as well. The retreat was very beneficial in many …
By Anonymous Country of Residence: United States A few weeks ago, I attended the first U.S-based Bohra activist retreat held in Brooklyn, New York. Eleven women from all over the country gathered together in a spacious Airbnb to discuss issues surrounding FGC in the Bohra community as well as to get to know each other …
Continue reading My Empowerment at the Sahiyo U.S. Activist Retreat
By Priya Ahluwalia Snugly sitting on my bed on the wintry night of December, a cold chill ran down my spine as I read through the Change.Org petition against Female Genital Mutilation also known as Female Genital Cutting or Khafz. I failed to recognize the magnitude of this practice because of the lack of knowledge …
Continue reading How I found out Khatna exists and why I choose to speak out
Sahiyo began in early 2015 as a conversation between five women who felt strongly about the ritual of female genital cutting (khatna) in the Bohra community. The group includes a social worker, a researcher, two filmmakers and a journalist, and all of them had already been speaking out, in their own ways, against the practice …
By Beth Fotheringham On the 16th of September, the FAWCO Target Team collaborated with Sahiyo for an educational webinar about FGM/C in the United States. The webinar sought to highlight the essential work Sahiyo does in their work to end FGC and support survivors. At the start of the webinar, Sahiyo co-founder and U.S. Executive …
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