Sahiyo U.S Executive Director Mariya Taher receives the 2024 Champion of Change Award
On October 5th, 2024, Sahiyo U.S. Executive Director Mariya Taher received the 2024 Champion of Change Award, during the annual Asian Women’s Shelter’s (AWS) gala, “Hope and Action: Celebrating 36 Years of The Asian Women’s Shelter” in San Francisco. This award is given to individuals working to end gender-based violence in their communities and in the world. As the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Sahiyo U.S., Mariya has played a key role in the movement to end FGC. Her work with state coalitions has influenced legislation, culminating in anti-FGC laws passed across the U.S., including in Massachusetts and Washington. She has brought the issue to the forefront of public discourse, raising awareness of FGC in the U.S. and abroad through outreach, training, and educational programs. “Receiving this recognition from the Asian Women’s Shelter at their annual gala is a huge deal for me. I was a volunteer with AWS after I graduated from my Master of Social Work program at San Francisco State University in 2010.” Mariya said, “Over the years, both my life and my work have kept me in touch with their organization in many ways. For the past 3 years, I’ve been working with AWS and Amy Hill, at Silence Speaks, to bolster our Voices to End FGM/C digital storytelling project in culturally specific ways, which has been such a gift. Who knew that years after volunteering with them we’d still be working together and building up the capacity of care for survivors of FGM/C in the U.S.” The Voices to End FGM/C program has been transformational, bringing survivors together in a safe space to tell their stories, heal, and connect. The only way we can create effective change is by having survivors at the table telling us what they need and how they want to see this practice end. Mariya’s work has done all of this and so much more, and all of us here at Sahiyo are thrilled to see her receive this remarkable award.
Sahiyo’s U.S. Executive Director will discuss transnational FGC at the United Nations in Geneva
On July 3rd, Sahiyo’s co-founder and U.S. Executive Director Mariya Taher will discuss cross-border and transnational female genital cutting (FGC) during the fifty-sixth session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. This Side Event conducted in collaboration with OHCHR, the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation, Equality Now, and the Permanent Mission of Burkina Faso,aims to raise awareness about cross-border and transnational female genital mutilation/cutting. The panel discussion will also aim to provide a platform for various stakeholders, including states, UN agencies, civil society organizations and survivors, to discuss what can be done in response Cross-border and transnational female genital mutilation/cutting is poorly documented yet critical to address if we want to end this harmful practice. Gaps in national and regional legal frameworks, lack of systematic and coordinated cooperation, and insufficient resources are just some of the challenges activists face in working to prevent it. The moderator for this event is Divya Srinivasan, the Global Lead on Ending Harmful Practices at Equality Now. Speakers include: H.E. Ambassador Nadine Traore Bazie, Chargée d’affaires, Permanent Mission of Burkina Faso, who will give the opening remarks. Hannah Wu, OHCHR who will present the findings of the report on cross-border and transnational female genital mutilation. Julia Bunting, UNFPA who will discuss the work of the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on the elimination of female genital mutilation. H.E. Dr. Isatou Touray, Former Vice President of The Gambia and Executive Director of Gambia Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children (GAMCOTRAP), will highlight cross-border female genital mutilation. Mariya Taher, Survivor and Executive Director of Sahiyo, U.S., who will discuss the issue of transnational female genital mutilation. To keep up with all of Sahiyo’s events, bookmark Sahiyo’s events calendar. You can also subscribe to our newsletter.