This paper explores the interface between ritual practice, symbolism and human sexuality. This is reviewed in respect of the Female Genital Cutting (FGC). Upheld in conservative cultures, FGC is an important ‘rite of passage’ symbolizing transition from girlhood to womanhood. The practice is the subject of an intense debate and the object of an eradication campaign, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. FGC is castigated for allegedly being responsible for the continued societal relegation of women in matters pertaining to sexuality. The practice however continues in spite of, or perhaps because of, the energised attempt at eradication. This begs the question as to what underpins its continued, albeit muted perpetuation. While pursing a plausible explanation, this paper argues that by disregarding socio-cultural dictates, well-intentioned anti-FGC approaches, particularly those that rely on deconstructive discourse, may discard the very premises that allowed women to negotiate a niche in which they were in control of their sexuality. We are, of course, not blind to the immense possibilities that such initiatives present in respect of elevating women to more a favourable position in contemporary dispensation. However, the imperativeness of the socio-cultural-symbolic nexus and its utility in relational intercession cannot be underrated. In this paper, we revisit the FGC debate by considering the ritualʼs symbolic import with respect to womenʼs’ self-definition and its influences on gender and sexual relations. The subject will be explored with reference to the Maasai community of East Africa.