Program > Program by speaker > Suzanna Khalifa

This study contributes to our understanding of the relationship between female genital cutting (FGC) and the marriage market. FGC is one of the most brutal forms of sexual violence against children, yet more than 200 million women alive today have undergone FGC. While existing studies focus on the role of normative forces, I propose a novel approach in which marriage market returns are a key driver of practice. I developed a model of parental decision to circumcise their daughter and show that in a context where circumcision allows parents to signal desirable but unobservable traits such as chastity, FGC increases the marital surplus receive in the marriage market. I test the model's predictions on Egyptian data and use a difference-in-difference approach to identify the causal effects of FGC on bride price. I exploit the variation across cohorts and villages of women's parents' exposure to an anti-FGC campaign broadcasted on the radio in 1994. Village level coverage of the campaign is obtained using an ITM software and archives on radio transmitters. I find that cohorts fully exposed to the campaign are 27% less likely to be circumcised and receive a 70% lower bride price at marriage. Exploring mechanisms, I find additional evidence that FGC increases matching quality in the marriage market. Finally, I find that the practice of bride price is associated with a higher likelihood of being circumcised for women across Africa. Hence, understanding the economic role of FGC is crucial in order design successful policies aimed at its eradication.