Thus, one is faced with the question of why this procedure continues to occur. Unfortunately, there is not one simple answer. FC/FGM is a practice of culture, not religion. It is a rite, engrained in the cultural ideology of those who practice it. There are many justifications for the practice identified by its followers. This reasoning will be identified and explained in the following paragraphs.
First, an examination of the history context of the practice is helpful. Although no one truly knows the origin of the practice, it is said to have started in ancient Egypt. Some contend the practice began to protect women against rape. Others speculate that in ancient Egypt circumcision was related to the Pharaonic belief in the bisexuality of the gods; humans were thought to reflect this in their anatomies, with the feminine "soul- of the man being situated in the prepuce and the masculine "soul- of the woman being in the clitoris. Male circumcision and female clitoridectomy and labia removal are thus needed for one to become fully a man or fully a woman (quoted in Assaad 1980:4). That circumcision operations establish an unambiguous gender identity an idea widespread in circumcising cultures. .
Next, one must look at the ritual and meaning that is engrained within the practice of FC/FGM. Circumcision has occurred in some African countries for hundreds of years and is practiced on girls ranging in age from infancy to eighteen years of age. For many, it is a rite of passage, an integral step to becoming a woman. For a young girl, there is a tremendous amount of pressure to be circumcised. A woman's honor is contingent upon her participation in this traditional initiation. Girls report a feeling of being alone and ashamed if they are not circumcised. Thus, some girls ask to be circumcised while others are dragged by their family. Nevertheless, for many this procedure is seen as vital. Uncircumcised women are viewed as ineligible for marriage and are shamed.