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 reduced to a statistic: one of the 200 million women and girls worldwide to have undergone the cut. As an activist working to end the practice, I have felt indignation at the often sensationalized ways in which survivors’ stories are depicted in the media. This is why Voices to End FGM/C is such an important, game-changing platform. It provides both survivors and activists with a safe and supportive environment and gives them the tools to share their stories with their own voices, words, and perspectives. Over 50 storytellers have benefitted from Voices over the past five years, and I am grateful to be one of them.”

~ Aarefa Johari, co-founder and trustee, Sahiyo India 

This website, voicestoednfgmc.org, features stories from dozens of survivors who have taken part in the Voices to End FGM/C project over the years. This project brings together cohorts of survivors and activists every year, and empowers each participant to tell their own story by creating a short video. Voices to End FGM/C has facilitated the creation of 55 such stories from over 19 countries, including the United States, Canada, India, Singapore, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, United Kingdom, Tanzania, Chad, and more. The storytellers represent a range of ages, economic statuses, cultural backgrounds, and gender identities.

“We’re really excited to have this new platform which pulls all the Voices content together and showcases the courage and creativity of the many storytellers we’ve worked with over the years.”

~ Amy Hill, StoryCenter Silence Speaker Director 

After years of feedback and demand for such resources, this new website is a centralized platform, not just for the videos and blogs by survivors and activists, but also for educational and informational content created over the past five years. 

“In the struggle to end FGM/C, it is imperative to center the voices of activists with lived experience. These videos are used to help educate legislators and convince them to pass legislation banning FGM/C such as occurred in Massachusetts in the United States in August 2020.”

~ Mariya Taher, Sahiyo U.S. Cofounder & Executive Director

The highlights of the website are the Voices to End FGM/C videos found on the Storyteller Video page. Behind-the-scenes footage of the workshops is also available, as are blogs written by storytellers about their experiences. Visitors can also keep up with upcoming events and workshops, including the Fall 2022 Voices to End FGM/ workshop. 

Contact Sahiyo: 1-857-209-4160

Email Kristel Mendoza Castillo: kristel@sahiyo.org

About Sahiyo

Founded in 2015, Sahiyo’s mission is to empower Asian and other communities to end female genital cutting and create positive social change through dialogue, education, and collaboration based on community involvement.

About StoryCenter

Mission Statement: We create spaces for listening to and sharing stories, to help build a just and healthy world. Our public and custom workshops provide individuals and organizations with skills and tools that support self-expression, creative practice, and community building.

---