Policies aimed at eradicating female genital cutting, known as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), since the 1950s have not been working as successfully as planned. A new study, published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, attempts to explain why. One indicator of FGM prevalence is known as evolutionary fitness. This is a measure of an individual’s reproductive success or their genetic contribution to future generations, Janet Howard, one of the study’s coauthors, told Nature Middle East. Adaptive benefits have been observed that may affect the frequency of FGM in a culture. In environments where it is prevalent, cutting gives women social status, better marriage prospects, and access to social support and networks, Nature Middle East stated. Conversely, in societies where it is not the norm, victims of the practice can be socially stigmatised. In addition, FGM frequency in the mother’s ethnic group is a significant predictor of the odds of having a cut daughter. Nevertheless, women who are not victims of FGM are less likely to have their daughters cut, even if it is the norm in their ethnic group, the study has shown. This tendency is encouraging from an eradication perspective as…
