Only a select few among the Bambara Blacksmiths are taught how to use knives for cutting. In one of the most celebrated, yet secretive rituals, a girl in Konza is taught that to become a respected member of the community, to become marriageable, to reduce her desire for men, and to have a safe pregnancy—she must be cut. Many of the same reasons are used to justify cutting within communities around the world. According to existing data that's available in only 30 countries, over 200 million girls have been cut.
