Norms Replacement. A Field Experiment on Female Genital Cutting

About this event

We evaluate the effectiveness of two interventions designed to reduce the incidence of female genital cutting (FGC) among adolescent girls in Sierra Leone. In this setting, FGC is part of a ritual called Bondo, which marks a girl's transition into womanhood. We randomly assigned over 3,500 mothers from 150 villages to three experimental arms: (i) a control group; (ii) an information arm, where we held community-wide discussions on the differences in outcomes between cut and uncut girls (e.g., in terms of health); and (iii) a norm-replacement arm, aimed at substituting the traditional ritual with an alternative that does not involve cutting ("Bondo without cutting"). We measure FGC status both through mother's reports and through direct observation by medical personnel during health checks. Both treatments resulted in a 35%-38% increase in the probability that girls were not cut two years after the intervention, and that their mothers reported the intention not to cut them in the future. Our results underline the importance of designing culturally-sensitive policies when trying to change harmful traditions.