In this episode of Changing Narratives, host Patricia Mars sits down with Naimah Hassan to unpack a new report produced through a collaboration between AWRA and Vavengers.

Naimah shares the inspiration behind the report, the process of collaboration and the stories and perspectives that stayed with her throughout the project. The conversation also digs into how the report contributes to global dialogues on rights, agency, and accountability, and why its findings matter for policymakers, funders, advocates and anyone working toward a coordinated response to FGM/C. The report can be found here.

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In this episode of Changing Narratives, host Patricia Mars sits down with two leading voices working at the intersection of medicine, policy, and human rights.

Dr. Marci Bowers—the only surgeon in the U.S. trained in both gender-affirming surgery and functional clitoral restoration for FGM/C survivors—joins Sinéad, a policy expert working to protect transgender rights and survivor-centered FGM/C advocacy.

Together, they break down one of today's most harmful and politically motivated narratives: the deliberate conflation of gender-affirming care with FGM/C.

This conversation explores:

• The real medical similarities and key distinctions between gender-affirming surgery and clitoral restoration

• How "protect the children" rhetoric is weaponized to restrict both survivor care and trans healthcare

• The policy strategies urgently needed to counter anti-rights misinformation

• Who benefits from confusion, fear-mongering and false comparisons—and at what cost

This is a clarifying, timely and deeply necessary episode for anyone working in health, policy, gender justice or survivor advocacy.

Tune in—and help us change the narrative.

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In the season 2 premiere of Changing Narratives, host Patricia Mars sits down with Dr. Crista Johnson-Agbakwu and Olivia Harris from the Hope MA Project (Holistic Organized Partnerships to End FGM/C in MA), a statewide initiative strengthening prevention, care and coordinated action around female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in Massachusetts.

Together, they discuss how the momentum from the 2020 legislation is being used to build a more robust and survivor-centered system of support across the state. Olivia and Crista share why bringing survivors, service providers and researchers together is essentail, what gaps still exist in care and how their team is working to close them.

This conversation explores what prevention looks like in practice — not just in policy — and how culturally grounded, community-led approaches shape long-term change. We also talk about how listeners can support the work of this project, especially ahead of International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM on February 6th.

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