The FGM/C Survivor Advisory Council

What is the FGM/C Survivor Council?

The primary focus of the FGM/C Survivor Advisory Council is to provide a safe space for survivors to share their stories, reflect on FGM/C as a practice, and have their voices heard. 

Why do we need a FGM/C Survivor Council?

As the anti-FGM/C movement within Canada grows so too does the need for survivors impacted by this practice to have their voices heard and experiences validated.
This movement must be informed and led by survivors impacted by this practice, only then can appropriate services and policy recommendations be made. 

Advisory Council Team

  • Farzana Doctor

    AUTHOR, ACTIVIST, REGISTERED SOCIAL WORKER PSYCHOTHERAPIST

    Advisory Council Facilitator:
    Farzana will be the council facilitator, leading the sessions and assigning activities and homework.

    In her private practice, she works with individuals and couples and provides clinical consultation to other therapists.

    She's a founding member of WeSpeakOut and the End FGM Canada Network, and the Maasi behind Dear Maasi, a sex and relationships column for FGM/C survivors.

    She has published four critically acclaimed novels and a poetry collection. Her latest novel, Seven, addresses FGM/C in her Bohra community. She lives near Lake Ontario with her partner, and is a dog volunteer with the Etobicoke Humane Society. www.Linktr.ee/farzanadoctor

  • Matida Daffeh

    MA STUDENT IN SOCIAL JUSTICE EDUCATION (OISE)

    Advisory Council Coordinator:
    Matida will be responsible for the administrative needs of the council. During the sessions, she will support Farzana with group facilitation. You may reach out to her for attendance, logistical and Zoom support.

    Matida Daffeh is an MA student at the OISE. She co-founded The Girls’ Agenda (TGA), a young feminist grassroots movement that advocates for the elimination of FGM and other traditional practices that negatively impact the rights and well-being of women and girls in The Gambia. Matida brings over ten years of experience working in the field of Women and Child Rights with non-governmental organizations in The Gambia and within the sub-region (Casamance/Senegal and Guinea Bissau), including Wassu Gambia Kafo - a research-based organization where she served as a lead trainer on FGM, working with both healthcare providers and communities.

  • Warda Warsame

    COMMUNITY ADVOCATE

    National Network Coordinator:
    Warda will support Farzana and Matida in the background. Additionally, you may reach out to Warda for payment issues, if you would like to be connected with counselling services, or for any general concerns and needs.

    Warda Warsame is a Torontonian, and a long-time community advocate passionate about working with diverse populations in capacity and community-building roles. She brings a decade of community development in the settlement sector.

    She believes in leveraging her education, as well as lived experience to improve the practical living conditions of racialized and underserved populations in Canada.

    As the End FGM Canada National Network Coordinator, she is responsible for continuing the important work of growing and expanding the reach of The Network within Canada.