Sahiyo convenes with other OVC grantees in Washington, DC
In 2020 and 2021, the Department of Justice – Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) awarded grants to organizations across the U.S. who deliver community-based programming to end FGC. The goal of this grant was to encourage educating communities and forming community networks of agencies and organizations that were positioned to identify those at risk and respond to survivors. Sahyo, in partnership with Asian Women’s Shelter (AWS) and StoryCenter, was awarded one of these three-year grants. At the end of January 2023, Sahiyo U.S.attended the OVC grantee convening in Washington DC. Over the course of the two-day gathering, participants were able to network, discuss challenges and opportunities in their work with FGC survivors, and build strategies and skills to take back and implement in their programming. During the event, Sahiyo’s Executive Director Mariya Taher facilitated two workshops, the first around strategies to build survivor engagement in programming, and the second looking at effective solutions to encourage male engagement in the work to end FGC. To learn more about Sahiyo’s work with AWS, visit our Technical Assistance page.
My thoughts on the Washington Senate Bill to end FGM/C
By FA When I was a teenager, my family discouraged me from speaking out against khatna, or female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), for fear of repercussions from our community. I wanted to use my voice, but I did not want to disappoint my parents or bring shame to my family. As I followed the Detroit FGM case in 2018, I became increasingly disappointed as it all unraveled. Then I learned about Sahiyo and the amazing work they were doing to end FGM/C; I decided to use my voice to advocate for what I believe to be right. As a part of my advocacy, I am volunteering with the Washington Coalition to End FGM/C. While forty states already have anti FGM/C laws, Washington State does not currently have such a law. A 2016 study ranked the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro area as the fifth largest metro area in the U.S. in terms of the size of the FGM/C-affected community, which makes this lack of legislation especially concerning. State laws are critical in our journey to end this practice for a variety of reasons. For example, WA Senate Bill 5453, a bill heard on January 30th by the Senate Committee on Law & Justice , will create a private right of action for victims of FGM/C which will allow survivors to stand up for themselves in court when they are ready to do so. It prohibits providers from performing FGM/C on a minors, which helps curtail vacation cutting practices (sending the girl away on a “vacation” abroad with family for her to be cut). It establishes education and outreach initiatives to help teach families about the harms of FGM/C. Moreover, it provides care for victims by strengthening the mandatory reporting requirements to include FGM/C. By adding FGM/C to the mandatory reporting list, it will be legally required for certain fields to report the harm to the authorities (ie. child abuse reporting laws). These civil remedies give victims some of their power back, but it is not enough to deter others from committing this act in the future. In order to discourage community cutters from performing this act, there needs to be a strong deterrent in place. Based on my experiences, there is an enormous amount of cultural pressure to perform FGM/C. The penalties must be heavy enough to deter the cutter, and from what I have seen, monetary fees are not enough. For me, it is important that this bill includes an element of criminalization for those who perform the cutting, in addition to civil remedies. One of the aspects that I love about Sahiyo is the multi-faceted approach taken to end FGM/C. I am proud that the proposed bill reflects this approach and hope that you are able to support its passage.
Washington Senate Bill 5453 concerning female genital mutilation/cutting moves forward in the Senate
On Tuesday, February 14th at 4:00 pm PST, SB 5453 concerning female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in Washington will move to the Senate Ways and Means Committee and for a Public Hearing. Here is how to get involved: Submit written testimony Testify virtually To vote pro Testify in-person Statement from the Washington Coalition: We are a newly formed Coalition working to end the practice of FGM/C in the State of Washington. We comprise a broad group of survivors, stakeholders and advocates. Forty US States have laws banning the practice of FGM/C. Washington has yet to address this important human rights issue in any manner. This proposed legislation SB 5453 under review today is a good first step towards ending the practice and supporting survivors in Washington State. Review the Washington Coalition’s factsheet to learn more about this bill and its significance.