Fauziya Kassindja, also known as Fauzia Kasinga, is a Togolese author known for her autobiographical book Do They Hear You When You Cry? This powerful story recounts her refusal to submit to kakia, the Togo ritual of female genital mutilation, and a forced marriage.

Born in 1977 in Kpalimé, Togo, Fauziya fled her country in 1994, traveling first to Germany where she obtained a fake passport. She then journeyed to the United States, where she immediately informed immigration officials of her false documents and requested asylum. Her subsequent detention by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services led to a significant legal battle.

With the help of her family, a law student named Layli Miller Bashir was hired to advocate for her asylum. They enlisted the expertise of Karen Musalo, a refugee law expert and then acting director of the American University International Human Rights Clinic. Fauziya was eventually granted asylum on June 13, 1996, in the landmark decision Matter of Kasinga.

In addition to her book, Fauziya contributed an essay titled Remaining Whole While Behind Bars to the 2002 book That Takes Ovaries!: Bold Females and Their Brazen Acts. She currently resides in Alexandria, Virginia.