Women, Community, and the Complexity of Female Genital Cutting

• Dr. Huda Syyed, a researcher, explains why we must stop villainising when discussing sensitive customs like Female Genital Cutting, focusing instead on building alliances and understanding the specific cultural context that drives these practices.
• She suggests silence is also a form of protection and caution used by women, especially those in minority groups, to avoid backlash or negative attention.
• The interview explores how women navigate internal community pressures like honour and modesty while working to reshape their religious and social futures from within through collaboration and safe dialogue.

Introduction

We interviewed Dr. Huda Syyed, who is a researcher and educator doing incredibly sensitive and important work at the intersection of gender, culture, and bodily autonomy. With a PhD from Charles Darwin University and a background that spans from London to Karachi, she brings a grounded and global perspective.

For the last eight years, Huda has been focusing on the complexities of female genital cutting,a harmful non-medical practice involving the partial or total removal of external female genitalia. This practice remains under-discussed within parts of South Asia, particularly within minority communities. 

For Faith Futures Collective, this conversation is relevant. Our work asks what kinds of religious futures become possible when change emerges from within communities rather than being imposed from outside. Huda’s reflections help us think about how women negotiate belonging, pressure, and belief from the inside, and how dialogue can take place without shame.

How do we have sensitive conversations about problematic religious practices?

We must read carefully and with care and compassion, even when we have conversations about women undergoing problematic practices like female genital mutilation or cutting. Otherwise, there is a risk of causing harm or generalised opinions of an entire group or community. One important thing to consider, especially when having conversations about religious futures, religiosity, and intra- or interfaith dialogue, is the power dynamics at play within the socio-cultural, political, and country structures we navigate every day. It is essential to consider the minority-majority dynamics and keep these power balances in mind.

Working towards harmony rather than division or divisive politics is vital. In a time of such high polarity, our religious futures rely on us working together in a collaborative, cooperative, and co-existing way.

From what you observed, is silence always a sign of oppression?

The notion of staying silent or being “quiet” about a custom like female genital cutting is something I visited within my thesis and continue to explore in my work. When we talk about women being silent, we must consider the background they are coming from. Issues related to women’s bodies, genitalia, reproductive health, or period awareness are generally not talked about in society. Female genital cutting, similarly, is not often discussed in social gatherings.

We must also consider that minority communities within a specific country may experience heightened vulnerabilities and discrimination. Pakistan, for instance, is known to have a volatile religious and political landscape, especially toward minorities. From what I have observed, silence can be a form of caution and a way to avoid bringing negative attention or backlash toward the community. This is why I talk about the importance of having these conversations in a culturally sensitive way, where we don’t shame communities, and help build alliances and involve them in the movement toward change.

From your experience, what strategies have been most effective in encouraging open, honest conversations about sensitive issues within conservative or religious-rooted spaces?

The most effective way to connect is to be a listener, a learner, and to be reflexive of one’s own positionality (social position and relationship to the community). Whether you are an insider or an outsider, you must think about how the conversation will affect or help the community.

As I mentioned in my research on conducting intersectional feminist research in precarious settings, it is vital to connect with communities in a way where you are still learning their perspective. We must avoid coming to communities with generalised notions, which can cause shame. To make communities feel included, a safe space must be created.

It is always good to revisit our own social and cultural conditioning. Reflexivity reminds us of the power dynamic and who we are in relation to the people we are speaking with. Creating safe spaces for people to talk without being shamed is the most important step.

Many women do not leave or change their relationship with their religion even when it causes pain or conflict. In your research and community work, what did you find keeps women staying?

To understand why women stay, we must take into account the context, which includes culture, community, and the country landscape.

Regarding women following specific religious framings or community practices, it is important to note that shame, honour, and modesty are socio-cultural expectations often attached to women’s bodies. In the custom of female genital cutting, women may adhere to the practice due to intense community and family pressure. While some women follow the custom because they truly wish to, others do so because of these shaped expectations. These are the nuances we must consider when discussing why women stay within a specific custom.

You also manage Sahara Sisters Collective, a platform to help and mentor South Asian women. Was there a moment or pattern in these experiences that pushed you to create the Sahara Sisters Collective, and what felt missing in existing spaces at the time?

The Sahara Sisters Collective came into being for a specific need but grew into something much bigger. I know what it’s like to feel isolated, excluded in spaces, or to be used as a token for diversity. Navigating academia and research as an “international” or a “Global South” student can be difficult, especially when working with limited resources. I was tired of not being able to talk openly about the struggles of life, studies, and cultural pressures while building a career as a South Asian woman. That motivated me to create Sahara Sisters Collective.

Sahara means support or a form of reliance. Together we are stronger, and divided we are vulnerable to the system. I created the collective as a space for support, mentoring, learning, and collaborative change. It specifically centres South Asian voices, visibilities, and needs, while remaining open and welcoming to people from all backgrounds.

It is a space where we facilitate conversations, collaborations, and dialogue about issues that need more visibility. On our channel, we currently have two talks available, and we are working towards hosting more dialogues about social issues and personal experiences shaped by political, social, cultural, and economic realities. It has also become a space for connection and guidance, whether through mentoring or sharing expertise. I am really glad this community came into being.

Editor’s Note

Listening to Huda, we are reminded that change inside religious communities is careful and negotiated. Her work shows that silence can be protection and sometimes the only way to survive within structures that are both limiting and sustaining.

In South Asian contexts, conversations around female genital cutting carry layers of stigma, political scrutiny, and communal vulnerability. These discussions are shaped by histories of marginalisation and by the fear of further misrepresentation. Huda’s work reminds us that engagement must begin with humility and a clear awareness of our own position. Without that, even well-intentioned interventions can cause harm.