‘So done with patriarchal control’

Ashraf Engineer, hosts podcast All Indians Matter

Putting real meaning to the phrase, ‘women's rights are human rights', Sahiyo, a global advocacy platform working towards ending the practice of Female Genital Cutting (FGC) or Female Genital Mutilation, has brought male allies on board.

Murtuza Laheri, IT services entrepreneur

Today, on February 6, the world marks International Day of Zero Tolerance towards FGC. Sahiyo has aptly launched its newest programme, Bhaiyo: Male Allies United in Ending Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting. Bhaiyo, means ‘brothers' or ‘male friends' in Gujarati, and is a programme, which will work alongside Sahiyo in its efforts to spread education and awareness on human rights issues related to FGC.

Bhaiyo's mission is to build a community where men, Sahiyo members, and survivors will be able to discuss FGC in the hope of changing the narrative, and creating a shift towards the abolishment of the practice.

"Bhaiyo allows men to have open and honest conversations about a topic they may or may not know is important to them. As brothers, it's our collective responsibility to leave the world safer than we found it for those we love. Bhaiyo aims to create awareness to help advocates and survivors work to end FGC," said Murtaza Kapasi, US-based Bhaiyo programme lead.

Sahiyo has garnered male supporters, who have helped spread awareness about FGC through social media, and attended workshops where people are taught ramifications of this practice, both physically and mentally on women, techniques to cope with community pressures and survivor stories. Bhaiyo will mean formalising that ally group and giving it a dedicated space under the Sahiyo umbrella. "I hope more men will join in to have what is often, a very difficult conversation, especially for men," said Ashraf Engineer.

Engineer, who is the host of a podcast called All Indians Matter, launched on the eve of Independence Day last year, said, "I have always been a supporter of Sahiyo's programmes. I have spoken out against the practice, written for websites and invited Aarefa Johri, Mumbai co-founder of Sahiyo, to speak on my podcast. As the father of a daughter, I feel I'm even more of a stakeholder in this movement, because it is personal for me. We should create awareness towards eliminating the practice. We have been a very progressive community, but of late I have witnessed regressive statements and pressures like women being forced to wear ridas etc. I am done with this patriarchal control. The cutting is a form of control and limiting women's agency over their bodies, and we need men to come on board as catalysts of change."

Of late, FGC has been on the public radar, due to a first-of-its-kind indictment of a Houston-based woman who transported a minor out of the country for the purpose of the youth undergoing FGC. Sahiyo knows it takes more than the law to end FGC. Bhaiyo is another step towards engaging with communities, to change social norms and cultural traditions from within. By bringing men's voices more actively into the conversation, there is an effort to bring about societal change via dialogue and education.

Murtuza Laheri, Thane-based IT services entrepreneur, who is the father of two sons said, "Many men in the community do know about FGC but are unaware of how grave the situation is or its harmful effects on women's bodies and psyche. I attended a few Sahiyo sessions and truly understood the ramifications of this. I am a supporter of eliminating this practice. I do speak to parents, especially mothers of girls. Maybe the mothers are pressurised by in-laws, or by the community, which usually gives the excuse that the practice is good for health. It is also about the fact that people are not really thinking themselves and just following some diktats by leaders. I also discern fear in going against something that has been ingrained in minds for so many years. We have a long way to go for complete change, but the path becomes much easier if there are activists and allies walking together."

In recognition of Bhaiyo, the founders have planned a webinar ‘Everyone's Responsibility' on February 23, at noon. This webinar will focus on the role male allies play in prevention efforts towards ending FGC. Four international expert panelists will lead the webinar - Jeremiah Kipainoi, Murtaza Kapasi, Khadijah Abdullah and Tony Mwebia.

Register for webinar at https://bit.ly/EveryonesResponsibilityTickets. For more information, contact Sahiyo at info@sahiyo.com