Abstract
A study of 859 rural women in 16 semipastoralist and semiagricultural villages in Southern Somalia reaffirmed the special significance of female circumcision as a source of full womanhood and an instrument for the control of female sexuality in Somalia. Although condemned in the West, this strongly embedded tradition enjoys unrestrained privilege in one of Africa's predominantly Islamic pastoral societies. The author reviews and analyzes the age-old tradition of circumcision, paying attention to the accompanying health problems as part of the Family Life Center's program. The Family Life program aims at improving the health conditions of rural women in Somalia and increasing their access to educational and economic opportunities.
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