1378: Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) | Skeptical Sunday

Welcome to Skeptical Sunday. I'm your host, Jordan Harbinger. Today I'm here with Skeptical Sunday co-host writer and researcher Jessica Wynn. The Jordan Harbinger Show, we decode the stories, secrets, and skills of the world's most fascinating people and turn their wisdom into practical advice that you can use to impact your own life and those around you. Our mission is to help you become a better informed, more critical thinker. During the week we have long form conversations with a variety of amazing folks, from spies to CEOs, athletes, authors, thinkers, and performers. Sundays, though, we do Skeptical Sunday, a rotating guest co-host, and I will break down a topic you may have never thought about and debunk common misconceptions about that topic. Such as why tipping makes no sense, astrology, recycling, internet porn, GMOs, toothpaste, and more. If you're new to the show or you want to tell your friends about the show, I suggest our episode starter packs. These are some of our favorite episodes. Episodes on persuasion, negotiation, psychology, disinformation, junk science, crime and cults, and more that'll help new listeners get a taste of everything we do here on the show. Just visit JordanHarbinger dot com slash start or search for us in your Spotify app to get started. Before we jump in today, I need to give a real warning here. What we are covering in this episode is brutal. Not edgy, not merely provocative, but actually just brutal and horrifying.

We're gonna discuss the deliberate cutting of female genitals, a practice that is happening somewhere in this world as you listen to this episode right now. And if this one isn't for you, I completely understand, but I hope that you'll stay with us because this practice survives partly because most of us would rather just not even think about it. So we're all just gonna be uncomfortable together, I think, on this one. Now today we're examining the myths, justifications, and power structures that have allowed female genital mutilation or FGM to persist for centuries. Many of us don't know exactly what it is, why it's done, or who advocates for this procedure in the first place. Here to make us squirm in our seats is writer and researcher Jessica Wynne. Jess. Thanks for being here for what I confess is already kind of a horror movie of an episode, and I haven't even asked a question yet. I mean, this is unpleasant for sure. But I actually think that discomfort is useful. Most people look away from FGM because it's

Almost unbearable to think about. The problem is when everybody looks away. Silence stops being accidental. It becomes part of the machinery that keeps the practice going. What do you mean? Well survivors are often expected

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