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Norm Replacement and Information. An Experiment on Ending Female Genital Cutting
Female Genital Cutting (FGC) is a harmful traditional practice with severe consequences for women’s health, human capital accumulation, and psychological well-being. This paper evaluates two interventions designed to reduce the incidence of FGC among adolescent girls in Sierra Leone, where the practice is integral to an initiation ceremony – called “Bondo” – symbolizing a girl’s transition to womanhood. We randomly assigned 150 villages to one of three arms: (i) a control group; (ii) a Visual Information arm, which facilitated community discussions emphasizing the harmful consequences of female genital cutting; and (iii) a Norm-Replacement arm, aimed at substituting the traditional ritual with an alternative that does not involve cutting (“Bondo without Cutting”). Girls’ FGC was measured using maternal reports, as well as clinical examinations by healthcare professionals. Three years after the intervention, both treatments reduced the incidence of female genital cutting among girls aged 10-18 by 21%-27%. Mechanisms’ analysis reveals that the Visual Information arm improved awareness of health risks, while the Norm-Replacement arm enhanced support for alternative rituals. Both interventions modestly reduced perceived social pressure, as captured by second-order beliefs. These findings underscore the potential of culturally grounded, community-based strategies to shift deeply entrenched social norms.
Written with Eliana La Ferrara
Date:
4 February 2026, 12:30
Venue:
Manor Road Building, Manor Road OX1 3UQ
Venue Details:
Seminar Room G (third floor)
Speaker:
Lucia Corno (Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore)
Organising department:
Department of Economics
Organisers:
Niccolo Meriggi (University of Oxford),
Stefano Caria (University of Oxford)
Organiser contact email address:
suzanne.george@economics.ox.ac.uk
Part of:
CSAE Lunchtime Seminars
Booking required?:
Not required
Audience:
Public
Editors:
Suzanne George,
Fiona Morsia,
Claire Goode
