By Dena Igusti I wanted to be a part of this year's Voices to End FGM/C digital storytelling workshop so I could talk more about my experiences navigating being a non-binary survivor of FGM/C. Unfortunately, a lot of statistics and narratives surrounding FGM/C only focus on cisgender women. In order...
By Afiqa Years ago, I learned of Malay classical and modern manuscripts on sex and erotic imageries by Malay women writers at a talk. Most were written under pseudonyms or not given credit if not a man. But a Malay women writer, Khatijah Terung, struck me with her bold, vulnerable,...
By Ibtisam Attending this workshop to share my story is now perhaps an opening to a bigger vision of what I call: Magic of Intimacy. I had viewed over a dozen Voices to End FGM/C stories and attended Sahiyo’s webinars over the last couple of years. As much as I...
By Anam I like to hear stories because they help me understand people. Sometimes, they help me understand myself. So, when I heard storytellers talk about their experience with female genital mutilaiton (FGM), I thought about my own. The Voices to End FGM/C digital Sstorytelling workshop helped me put into...
By Maryan Abdikadir Why did you want to attend the workshop and share your story? I love storytelling and I come from a long line of storytellers and poets. I believe stories have a way of capturing the minds, leaving lasting impressions and/or education. Being a survivor of Female Genital...
July 31, 2022 – After five years of supporting survivors of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in sharing their stories, Sahiyo and StoryCenter announce the launch of a new website dedicated to highlighting this underrecognized human rights violation. "As a survivor of female genital cutting, I have experienced the frustration of being...
“Witnessing others be vulnerable and open in telling their stories helped to validate my experience. I was able to pull scattered thoughts and memories into a clear and concise picture.” ~Zahra, Voices Storyteller With 200 million people having undergone female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) worldwide, many stories are waiting to be...
By Anonymous Attending the digital storytelling workshop was an opportunity that came by and seemed interesting. After the first meeting and learning more about the Voices To End FGM/C program, I was even more intrigued. I wanted to be able to create a story that people would feel deeply and find some sort of hope when...
By Zahra Qaiyumi In the process of creating a video as part of the Voices to End FGC project, I was able to pull scattered thoughts and memories into a clear and concise picture. The workshop allowed me to contemplate the different aspects of my experience as a survivor and helped me...
Where, and how, does agency (or one’s capacity to act) manifest itself for survivors of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C)? How can survivors heal and find community with each other? These were two of the questions I pursued through a research project on the effect of digital storytelling on survivors of...