Mariya Taher Case Study

CASE STUDY: Mariya Taher and Sahiyo

When: 2017

Where: USA

What: Female Genital Circumcision (FGC) ranges from a small cut of the clitoris to total removal of all outer vaginal tissue and the closing of the vagina. It is historic practice that is often kept a secret from the girls undergoing the cut, is not completed in sterile conditions and one that is rarely talked about due to its sexual nature and is often considered taboo. It is estimated that 200 million girls have been cut around the world, but due to the secretive nature of FGC it is difficult to get more data. The United States outlawed carrying out circumcision on females under the age of 18 in 1997, but it is common practice that families take their daughters abroad to countries where the practice is more acceptable to receive the treatment. Also, while there is a federal law against it, different states have different convection classifications for it, making it difficult to fully combat the issue of FGC. Until 2017 there were no federal prosecutions of FGC, and only one reported case of FGC in the United States. There is a damaging stigma around the practice that keeps survivors from reporting and many people see the issue as something that happens in other parts of the world.

Mariya Taher and four other women founded the online nonprofit Sahiyo to serve as a forum to empower survivors and start a discussion on a topic that most people do not want to talk about. They aim to end the practice of FGC and empower women and girls on ideas of control of their bodies and sexuality. To start the end of FGC, people needed to realize that it happens in nations like the United States, despite low amount of reported cases.

Why it worked:

Taher decided sharing stories would be the most powerful way to start the conversation and give power back to survivors. She aims to build a critical mass of voices to overpower the secrecy and stigmas associated with the practice of FGC. On their website they welcome anyone to share a story about their experience with FGC, even if they were not personally cut themselves. They hope to expand to other forms of media, including video, song, and poetry and feel that creative expression through art is empowering and healing. Taher started this process by coming forward to share her own experience of FGM. By publicly sharing stories, FGC survivors are actively fighting against the system of secrecy and shame that has fuelled FGC for centuries. The stories do not only empower the survivor writing it, they also build a critical mass of voices that are demanding to be heard. Taher believes that to change social norms, such as FGC, it is necessary to start a dialogue and discussion and every voice that contributes is vital. As the amount of survivors and other empowered voices share their stories grows, other people can step out of the secret and share theirs, until  FGC is no longer hidden in shame and discussions around ending the practice and the stigma can be spread.

Key PRINCIPLES at work:

Critical Mass of Empowered Voices

FGC is a practice that is surrounded by shame and secrecy. Having survivors feel comfortable coming forward to share their stories is a large step in changing the social understanding the practice. Instead of giving the power to control to conversation on FGC to male opinion leaders and people who have no experience in the practice, creating a critical mass of empowered voices gives the control to the survivors and allows for them to shape the narrative. It strips away the secrecy that is used to maintain the practice and provides a healing space for some.

Lead with Sympathetic Characters:

People need characters that they can feel comfortable supporting, rather than focusing on who to vilify. Putting people with real stories of FGC at the forefront makes the issue less foreign and more real to people who could only conceptualize it as a far away or outdated problem. It is important to maintain the humanity  and authenticity of the survivors and allow them to control how and when they want their story to be used.

Make the invisible, visible:

For most Americans, FGC appears to be a barbaric practice that takes place far away from the suburban dream, if they know what it is at all. Part of the fight to end FGC is to make people realize that it exists globally and affects people near them. It is also easy to frame the practice as an “Islamic  issue” rather than a human and gender rights issue, which makes it more invisible to those who are Islamophobic.

Challenge the Patriarchy as you Organize:

Women need to be the primary speakers on issues of FGC, rather than allow for men to dominate the conversation. Part of the movement to end FGC revolves around empowering the survivors of the practice and giving them control over their bodies, sexuality and voice. To do this is to actively challenge patriarchal standards. It is important to highlight women’s experiences, analyses, and ideas around FGC and not just have them as figurehead leaders of the movement. It is also important to overpower the voices that say FGC is not an gendered issue, and remind them that the cut is used to control and contain woman's purity and sexuality from a young age.

Key THEORY at work:

Narrative Power Analysis

Stories obtain power through meaning, and by analyzing the narratives meaning and power can be shifted. The narrative of FGC has always been singularly focused on a cultural reasoning and secrecy. SAHIYO set out to analyze the issues of power and balance in that narrative, and to rewrite it in a way that has more meaning for survivors.

Further insights: SAHIYO website

Contributed by: Sarah Leiser.