Female Genital Mutilation Bans

This study examines the effectiveness of anti-Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) laws in reducing the prevalence of FGM across 19 countries. We compile a new database on national anti-FGM legislation detailing the specific provisions. Using all available DHS and MICS data, we compare girls at risk of FGM before and after the law within the same region and same ethnic group using a staggered difference-in-differences approach. Our main results show that anti-FGM laws significantly reduce FGM rates by an average of 5 percentage points. The effect is three times larger for girls born after the law's enactment and in countries with a stronger rule of law. The magnitude of the impact increases with the pre-ban prevalence of FGM, but we observe the largest relative reductions in areas where FGM concerned about 30\% of the female population before the reform. Further results reveal welfare enhancing implications of banning FGM in terms of increased schooling. This work provides a novel contribution on the capacity of laws to effectively influence behaviors, offering important insights for the design of policies aimed at eliminating harmful practices and promoting gender equality.