It’s a heavy topic. Honestly, it’s one of those things most people want to look away from because the physical reality is visceral and, frankly, terrifying. But to stop it, we have to look directly at it. Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) affects over 230 million women and girls alive today. That’s not a small, isolated number. It’s a massive, global reality.
If you’ve ever wondered why does FGM happen, you’re likely looking for a single "bad guy" or a simple explanation. I wish I could give you one. But the truth is much more tangled. It’s a messy knot of tradition, social survival, and deep-seated myths about the female body. It isn’t just "one thing." It’s a pressure cooker of community expectations.
The Social Trap: Why "Good" Parents Choose It
Most people assume FGM is performed by people who want to hurt children. That’s almost never the case. In reality, it’s often done by mothers and grandmothers who love their daughters deeply.
That sounds backwards, right?
But in communities where FGM is the norm, it’s seen as a prerequisite for adulthood and marriage. If a girl isn't "cut," she might be deemed "unclean" or "unfit." She becomes a social pariah. In a village where marriage is the only path to economic security, a parent sees FGM as a ticket to a safe future. It’s a survival mechanism. If you don't do it, your daughter might never be able to start a family or be accepted by her peers. The fear of social exclusion is a powerful, jagged motivator.
The Myth of Religious Mandate
Let’s get one thing straight: No major religion requires FGM.
It’s a common misconception that this is a "religious" practice. You won’t find it in the Quran. You won’t find it in the Bible. In fact, many religious leaders have spent decades campaigning against it. However, because the practice is so old—predating both Christianity and Islam—it has become intertwined with local religious identities in certain pockets of Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
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People often conflate "tradition" with "faith." When a local leader says it’s a religious duty, families believe them. This creates a cycle where questioning the practice feels like questioning God, even when the theology doesn't actually support it. Organizations like Tostan have done incredible work in Senegal by bringing together imams and community elders to publicly declare that the practice isn't a religious requirement, which has led to massive drops in FGM rates.
Control and the "Purity" Narrative
At its darkest core, FGM is about controlling female sexuality. There’s no point in sugarcoating it.
The rationale often given is that the procedure "calms" a woman or ensures she remains faithful to her husband by reducing her sexual desire. It’s an extreme form of policing the female body. By removing the clitoris or narrowing the vaginal opening (infibulation), the goal is to "guarantee" virginity before marriage and fidelity after.
It’s basically an architectural attempt to enforce a social moral code.
This is where the health implications get really scary. We aren't just talking about the immediate pain or the risk of hemorrhage and infection—which are massive risks. We’re talking about lifelong consequences. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), women who have undergone FGM are significantly more likely to experience life-threatening complications during childbirth. Their bodies have been scarred in ways that make natural processes dangerous.
The Economic Engine of Tradition
We also have to talk about the "cutters."
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In many communities, the person who performs the FGM—often an older woman—holds a position of high status. It’s also her primary source of income. This creates an economic incentive to keep the tradition alive. When you ask why does FGM happen, you have to follow the money, even if it’s just a small amount of local currency or a few chickens.
When activists try to stop FGM, they often run into the problem of what to do with the practitioners. If you take away their role, you take away their livelihood and their respect in the community. Successful programs now focus on "Alternative Rites of Passage." This allows girls to celebrate becoming women through dance, education, and ceremony—without any cutting involved—while ensuring the elders still have a role to play in the community.
The Medicalization Trap
Here is something that really worries experts right now: The "Medicalization" of FGM.
In places like Egypt, Sudan, and Kenya, a huge percentage of FGM procedures are now performed by doctors or nurses in clinics. People think this makes it "safe." It doesn't. While it might reduce the immediate risk of sepsis or "dirty" tools, it’s still the removal of healthy tissue and it still carries all the long-term psychological and physical trauma.
The WHO is very clear: Medical professionals should never perform FGM. When doctors do it, it gives the practice a "stamp of approval" that makes it even harder to eradicate. It suggests that there is a "right" way to do something that is fundamentally a human rights violation.
Understanding the Layers of Trauma
It isn't just a physical wound. The psychological impact is a heavy, quiet burden.
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Many women describe a sense of betrayal. The very people they trusted most—their mothers, their aunts—were the ones who held them down. This creates a complex trauma that ripples through generations. Because it’s a taboo subject, many women never talk about their pain, so their daughters grow up thinking the pain is just a normal part of being a woman.
Breaking that silence is the only way forward. When women start talking about their chronic pain, their difficult births, and their lack of sexual fulfillment, the "tradition" starts to lose its luster.
Real Change is Happening
It’s not all grim news. Things are actually changing.
In 2015, Nigeria banned the practice nationally. In 2020, Sudan followed suit, which was a massive deal given how prevalent infibulation was there. But laws only go so far. You can't just arrest your way out of a cultural belief.
The most effective change happens at the grassroots level. It’s about "Community-Led Total Abandonment." This is when an entire village decides together to stop. If everyone stops at once, no girl is singled out, and no girl loses her chance at marriage or social standing. The social pressure flips from "you must do this" to "we don't do this anymore."
Practical Next Steps for Advocacy and Education
If you want to help or learn more, don't just read and walk away.
- Support Grassroots Organizations: Groups like The Orchid Project or Safe Hands for Girls work directly with communities rather than shouting from the outside. They understand the nuance.
- Educate Without Shaming: If you’re talking to someone from a practicing community, remember that they likely view this as a way to protect their children. Shaming leads to defensiveness. Education leads to change.
- Watch the Language: Use the term "Female Genital Mutilation" for policy, but when talking to survivors, some prefer "Female Genital Cutting" or "Circumcision." Listening to how they describe their own experience is key.
- Follow the Data: Check the latest reports from UNICEF and the WHO. They track prevalence rates every year, and seeing the numbers drop in certain regions provides a roadmap for what works.
FGM is a violation of human rights. It’s a health crisis. But more than anything, it’s a social phenomenon held together by fear and misinformation. By understanding the "why," we can better support the "how" of ending it for good.