Associative learning and/or innate disposition. Below we outline a behaviour purchase Chaetocin change approach which takes into account the macro and community level structures and the interpersonal and intrapersonal factors that enable and/or constrain behaviour change concerning the issue of FGM.5 et al. [39] consider some wider Baicalein 6-methyl etherMedChemExpress Oroxylin A decision-theoretic behaviour change approaches, the work focuses on the stages of change and decisional balance elements of the TTM alone. Self-efficacy and processes of change, other elements of the TTM, are not considered as potentially relevant. Within their concluding remarks, Shell-Duncan et al. [39] conceded that the issue of behaviour change, with respect to the practice of FGM, “remains poorly understood” (page 130). We suggest one of the poorly understood aspects of individualistic decision-theoretic theories in this context is that, despite being conceived around psychological processes and their relationship with behaviour or behaviour change within individuals, they are tested on population samples and useful for population-level interventions. We argue that, in order for behavioural change approaches to be more successfully applied in attempts to end FGM, a more coherent and comprehensive understanding of how individualistic decisiontheoretic and community level game-theoretic approaches might be integrated, is required. Indeed, this point is noted by Denison et al. [47] when they state that, in order to achieve successful behaviour change, efforts need to be intensified at all levels, which include the individual and group level and community level interventions. In an attempt to move towards achieving this with regards to ending FGM we firstly outline three major game-theoretic or community change models that have been or could be applied to understanding change in FGM practices and some of their strengths and limitations. We then present an example of how concepts from individual (decision-theoretic) and community (gametheoretic) behaviour changes might be synthesised to address the identified limitations. 3.1. Game-Theoretic Approaches, Community Change: Social Convention Theory. Social Convention Theory has been applied to understand harmful traditions and cultural practices, such as foot binding amongst Chinese communities and FGM [19]. Mackie and Le Jeune [19] highlight the wider inequalities in society that perpetuate such practices and how aspects such as gender, class, and the desire to improve one’s access to social and economic resources may contribute to the establishment and continuation of the practice. To illustrate, in many FGM affected communities, women who have been cut are considered to have maintained their virginity which is desirable for marriage. Consequently, the convention of cutting females’ genitals becomes accepted as a social norm as no family wants to suffer the stigma associated with having a daughter considered “unfit” for marriage. The practice of FGM is embedded and reenforced because decisions made about performing FGM are interdependent on decisions made by other intramarrying families in the communities around them; namely they will have their daughters cut in order to improve their likelihood of securing a good marriage partner. In order to end such a social convention it is argued [19] that a critical mass of families within a community must publically renounce the practice; as it is only when communities desist that, individual families will believe it is acceptable and not.Associative learning and/or innate disposition. Below we outline a behaviour change approach which takes into account the macro and community level structures and the interpersonal and intrapersonal factors that enable and/or constrain behaviour change concerning the issue of FGM.5 et al. [39] consider some wider decision-theoretic behaviour change approaches, the work focuses on the stages of change and decisional balance elements of the TTM alone. Self-efficacy and processes of change, other elements of the TTM, are not considered as potentially relevant. Within their concluding remarks, Shell-Duncan et al. [39] conceded that the issue of behaviour change, with respect to the practice of FGM, “remains poorly understood” (page 130). We suggest one of the poorly understood aspects of individualistic decision-theoretic theories in this context is that, despite being conceived around psychological processes and their relationship with behaviour or behaviour change within individuals, they are tested on population samples and useful for population-level interventions. We argue that, in order for behavioural change approaches to be more successfully applied in attempts to end FGM, a more coherent and comprehensive understanding of how individualistic decisiontheoretic and community level game-theoretic approaches might be integrated, is required. Indeed, this point is noted by Denison et al. [47] when they state that, in order to achieve successful behaviour change, efforts need to be intensified at all levels, which include the individual and group level and community level interventions. In an attempt to move towards achieving this with regards to ending FGM we firstly outline three major game-theoretic or community change models that have been or could be applied to understanding change in FGM practices and some of their strengths and limitations. We then present an example of how concepts from individual (decision-theoretic) and community (gametheoretic) behaviour changes might be synthesised to address the identified limitations. 3.1. Game-Theoretic Approaches, Community Change: Social Convention Theory. Social Convention Theory has been applied to understand harmful traditions and cultural practices, such as foot binding amongst Chinese communities and FGM [19]. Mackie and Le Jeune [19] highlight the wider inequalities in society that perpetuate such practices and how aspects such as gender, class, and the desire to improve one’s access to social and economic resources may contribute to the establishment and continuation of the practice. To illustrate, in many FGM affected communities, women who have been cut are considered to have maintained their virginity which is desirable for marriage. Consequently, the convention of cutting females’ genitals becomes accepted as a social norm as no family wants to suffer the stigma associated with having a daughter considered “unfit” for marriage. The practice of FGM is embedded and reenforced because decisions made about performing FGM are interdependent on decisions made by other intramarrying families in the communities around them; namely they will have their daughters cut in order to improve their likelihood of securing a good marriage partner. In order to end such a social convention it is argued [19] that a critical mass of families within a community must publically renounce the practice; as it is only when communities desist that, individual families will believe it is acceptable and not.