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. 2024 Mar 15;24(1):180.
doi: 10.1186/s12905-024-02940-4.

Female genital mutilation/cutting among girls aged 0-14: evidence from the 2018 Mali Demographic and Health Survey data

Bright Opoku Ahinkorah  1   2 , Eugene Budu  3 , Abdul-Aziz Seidu  4   5   6 , Ebenezer Agbaglo  7 , Collins Adu  8 , Edward Kwabena Ameyaw  9   10 , Anthony Idowu Ajayi  11 , Sanni Yaya  12   13
Affiliations

Female genital mutilation/cutting among girls aged 0-14: evidence from the 2018 Mali Demographic and Health Survey data

Bright Opoku Ahinkorah et al. BMC Womens Health. .

Abstract

Background: Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is considered a social norm in many African societies, with varying prevalence among countries. Mali is one of the eight countries with very high prevalence of FGM/C in Africa. This study assessed the individual and contextual factors associated with female FGM/C among girls aged 0-14 years in Mali.

Methods: We obtained data from the 2018 Mali Demographic and Health Survey. The prevalence of FGM/C in girls was presented using percentages while a multilevel binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the predictors of FGM/C and the results were presented using adjusted odds ratios with associated 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results: The results indicate that more than half (72.7%, 95% CI = 70.4-74.8) of women in Mali with daughters had at least one daughter who has gone through circumcision. The likelihood of circumcision of girls increased with age, with women aged 45-49 having the highest odds compared to those aged 15-19 (aOR = 17.68, CI = 7.91-31.79). A higher likelihood of FGM/C in daughters was observed among women who never read newspaper/magazine (aOR = 2.22, 95% CI = 1.27-3.89), compared to those who read newspaper/magazine at least once a week. Compared to women who are not circumcised, those who had been circumcised were more likely to have their daughters circumcised (aOR = 53.98, 95% CI = 24.91-117.00).

Conclusion: The study revealed the age of mothers, frequency of reading newspaper/magazine, and circumcision status of mothers, as factors associated with circumcision of girls aged 0-14 in Mali. It is, therefore, imperative for existing interventions and new ones to focus on these factors in order to reduce FGM/C in Mali. This will help Mali to contribute to the global efforts of eliminating all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation by 2030.

Keywords: DHS; Daughters; Female genital mutilation/cutting; Human rights; Mali; Public health.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Anthony Idowu Ajayi is a member of the Editorial Board of this Journal.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Proportion of women who had at least one daughter circumcised
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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References

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