FGM/C is often a tradition which has existed for generations. The circumcision is seen as a sign of commitment to the community. Women view being circumcised as normal. They only gain social recognition after they have been circumcised.

Many communities believe that female genitals are ugly and dirty. An uncircumcised girl is seen as being unclean. Circumcision makes women and girls pure. Sometimes it is also asserted, wrongly, that circumcised genitals are more attractive than uncircumcised ones.

In many regions women must be circumcised in order to be accepted as a wife by the man and his family. In some places uncircumcised women are forbidden to marry. This is the reason why mothers allow their daughters to be circumcised. The family is often also dependent on the dowry their daughters bring.

In some communities baby girls are circumcised soon after birth. In others it is not carried out until girls reach puberty or before they marry. In many places FGM/C is part of rite of initiation which marks the transition to adulthood – after circumcision girls become fully fledged women and gain social recognition.

FGM/C is an expression of the oppression of women and their rights. The focus of genital circumcision is to control women’s sexuality and their bodies. Circumcision is believed to reduce women’s libido, ensuring that they do not have pre-marital sex and remain faithful to their husbands when they marry.

Religious grounds are often also stated as the reason for circumcision, however this is not correct. FGM/C occurs in Islam, Christianity, in Judaism and among animists, but is not demanded by any holy writings. Many Islamic scholars take a clear stand against the circumcision of female genitals, emphasising that it is not compatible with Islamic teachings.