Celebrating October 11th – International Day of the Girl Child
This October 11th marked the Tenth Annual Day of the Girl Child, a day created by the United Nations General Assembly to highlight girls’ empowerment and promotion of their rights as well as to address challenges to gender equity. To honor the occasion, Sahiyo collaborated with partner organizations in two events to raise awareness of the harms of female genital cutting (FGC) and the work our organization is involved in to support survivors and work towards prevention of FGC for future generations. FGM Taskforce of Greater Los Angeles – A moderated panel with advocates in honor of the International Day of the Girl Child and Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The event was hoted by the FGM Taskforce of Greater Los Angeles. Speakers included: Athia Carrim, Dr. Nina Smart, Mariya Taher, Dr. Brenda Kaye Ingram, Muluemebet Alemayehu. Voices to End FGM/C – A discussion-based event to uplift storytellers from the Voices to End FGM/C digital storytelling project and celebrate the 10th anniversary of the International Day of the Girl Child. The event was hosted by The World Bank, and sponsored by the GFLID FGM Legal Work Group Group, Sahiyo, and StoryCenter. Speakers included: Isabella Micali Drossos, Mariya Taher, Renee Bergstrom, Bayor Chantal, Amy Hill, Lou M.C. Granier. We are thankful for their collaboration and support, and look for future opportunities to work together to uplift girls’ empowerment! Read further to learn more about Sahiyo’s work to uplift girls everyday.
Support Sahiyo in our work to uplift and protect girls on the Tenth Annual International Day of the Girl Child
By Meg Sinnott This October 11th marks the Tenth Annual Day of the Girl Child, a day created by the United Nations General Assembly to highlight girls’ empowerment and promotion of their rights as well as to address challenges to gender equity. As outlined by the OECD, investing in women economically and socially benefits everybody. Investing in girls is an investment in the women of the future, and thus in the future itself. Girls can face a distinct set of gender inequitable challenges including child marriage, exclusion from education, gender-based violence, and harmful practices like female genital cutting (FGC). As advocates against FGC, the core of Sahiyo’s mission is to work with the community to ensure girls’ bodily integrity and protect them from harm. Read further to learn about Sahiyo’s work and how we meet this mission. What is Sahiyo doing? Connecticut Coalition to End FGM/C In 2013, the Population Reference Bureau estimated that 2,658 women and girls in Connecticut (CT) were at risk of undergoing – or having already undergone – female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). Sahiyo, a founding member of the Connecticut Coalition to End FGM/C, is building a survivor-led coalition of FGM/C activists, organizations, researchers, policymakers, foundations, healthcare providers, and others dedicated to protecting girls by bringing an end to FGM/C in Connecticut. Connecticut remains one of the last ten states in the U.S. without any such legal protection. The coalition is proposing a bill that aims to: Build partnerships between Connecticut’s state departments and agencies to prevent FGM/C and to protect and provide assistance to survivors Educate health service providers to provide culturally responsive services to survivors Ensure state agencies partner with community-based experts who are working with survivors to create training, materials, and other support services for survivors For the past two years, the coalition has met with stakeholders and legislators to educate them on FGC and the need for a holistic bill protecting future generations of girls from this harm. Learn more at http://endfgmcinct.com. Increasing Capacity to Support FGC Survivors In January 2022, Sahiyo began working with Asian Women’s Shelter (AWS), a domestic violence organization based in San Francisco, CA, on a three-year project funded by the Department of Justice – Office of Victims of Crime to increase the capacity of care for survivors of FGC in the United States. For eight months, Sahiyo has provided a series of in-depth, interactive trainings to AWS staff, volunteers, and crisis line volunteers about FGC, the mental and physical health consequences of this harmful practice, and how to best support survivors. As a result, AWS was able to expand the capacity of its crisis line to include supporting survivors of FGC in August 2022. How can you support Sahiyo? To support the valuable work that Sahiyo does to protect the bodily integrity of girls and women, we invite you to participate in Sahiyo’s first-ever virtual fundraising event, Sahiyo’s International Women’s Day Celebration & Silent Auction, from March 8-12, 2023. During this five-day event, we’ll celebrate women’s voices with video spotlights, stories, and entertainment. For more information about the event, donating auction items, participating in the program, volunteering on the planning committee, or sponsoring this event, please contact Sahiyo Development Coordinator, Michelle Taylor at michelle@sahiyo.org.