. Paradoxes of Female Sexuality in Mali

at excision. Moreover, many justifications of excision are no longer used as valid rational explanations of these practices. The belief that the clitoris can harm the young girl, the childbearing woman or her male sexual partners, is among those disappearing rationalizations. Instead, conformity to traditional or Islamic teach­ing, clarification of individual sexual identity and control of sexuality are the most frequent reasons for submitting women and girls to the practice (Diallo 1978; Toubia 1993). Usually, people give more than one reason why they approve of these practices, often combining other justifications with the recurrent motive of diminishing women’s sensuality and sexual activities. For example, all the nuptial advisors and practitioners of excision, who are included in the present study, have asserted that the primary function of current practices of female genital mutila­tion is to diminish women’s sensuality. They believe that the induced decrease in the libido is a sure method of preventing sexual permissiveness among boys and girls, ensuring faithfulness among couples and reinforcing the respectability of older women. However, it is no secret today that female genital mutilation is a source of intense suffering and health hazards for many Malian women. Its ef­fects may be devastating for women’s sexuality, ranging from painful intercourse, risky childbearing, to misshapen and dysfunctional genital organs (Koso-Thomas 1987).