Voices to End FGM/C: Using Personal Storytelling for Women’s Rights Advocacy

For centuries, individuals around the world have been reluctant to talk openly about the women’s rights violation of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), for fear of being ostracized by their communities, labeled as victims, or jeopardizing their relationships with loved ones implicated in the practice. Since 2018, Voices to End FGM/C, a collaboration of Sahiyo and StoryCenter’s Silence Speaks initiative on human rights, has used a trauma-informed approach to engage survivors and activists in the U.S. and around the world in telling their personal stories of FGM/C. Voices supports storytellers in healing, connecting in solidarity, and growing as leaders in the movement calling for an end to FGM/C. In a panel moderated by Voices co-founder Mariya Taher at the International Digital Storytelling Conference 2023, the following individuals will highlight the value of our work within health, criminal justice, and community support contexts:

Karen McDonnell, faculty, George Washington University. Karen coordinated a Voices workshop focused on the health impacts of FGM/C and is an expert on training health providers on the issue.

Angela Peabody, Executive Director, Global Women Peace Foundation. Angela, born and raised in Liberia, is a Voices alumna who has for years been listening to women share their stories of FGM/C.

Sunshine Bayor, Voices workshop participant. Bayor, born and raised in Chad, attended the health-focused Voices workshop and will share her experience of telling her story of FGM/C. (Additional panelists to be determined based on whether or not they can travel to the conference.)