Women’s empowerment and female genital mutilation intention for daughters in Sierra Leone: a multilevel analysis
Abstract Background Female genital mutilation is common in Sierra Leone. Evidence indicates that empowering women provides protective benefits against female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). Yet, the relationship between women’s empowerment and their intention to cut their daughters has not been...
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doaj-3006b94737754af5b82f4a210b1d90df2021-05-16T11:15:38ZengBMCBMC Women's Health1472-68742021-05-0121111010.1186/s12905-021-01340-2Women’s empowerment and female genital mutilation intention for daughters in Sierra Leone: a multilevel analysisEdward Kwabena Ameyaw0Seun Anjorin1Bright Opoku Ahinkorah2Abdul-Aziz Seidu3Olalekan A. Uthman4Mpho Keetile5Sanni Yaya6School of Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Technology SydneyWarwick Centre for Applied Health Research and Delivery (WCAHRD), Division of Health Sciences, Warwick Medical School, University of WarwickSchool of Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Technology SydneyDepartment of Population and Health, College of Humanities and Legal Studies, University of Cape CoastWarwick Centre for Applied Health Research and Delivery (WCAHRD), Division of Health Sciences, Warwick Medical School, University of WarwickPopulation Studies and Demography, University of BotswanaSchool of International Development and Global Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of OttawaAbstract Background Female genital mutilation is common in Sierra Leone. Evidence indicates that empowering women provides protective benefits against female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). Yet, the relationship between women’s empowerment and their intention to cut their daughters has not been explored in Sierra Leone. The aim of this study was to assess the association between women’s empowerment and their intention to have their daughters undergo FGM/C in the country. Methods Data for this study are from the 2013 Sierra Leone Demographic and Health Survey. A total of 7,706 women between the ages of 15 and 49 were included in the analysis. Analysis entailed generation of descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages), and estimation of multi-level logistic regression models to examine the association between women’s empowerment, contextual factors and their intentions to cut their daughters. Results A significantly higher proportion of women who participated in labour force reported that they intended to cut their daughters compared to those who did not (91.2%, CI = 90.4–91.9 and 86.0%, CI = 84.1–87.8, respectively). Similarly, the proportion intending to cut their daughters was significantly higher among women who accepted wife beating than among those who rejected the practice (94.9%, CI = 93.8–95.8 and 86.4% CI = 84.9–87.8, respectively). A significantly higher proportion of women with low decision-making power intended to cut their daughters compared to those with high decision-making power (91.0%, CI = 89.0–92.8 and 85.0% CI = 82.2–87.4, respectively). Results from multivariate regression analysis showed that the odds of intending to cut daughters were significantly higher among women who participated in labour force (aOR = 2.5, CI = 1.3–4.7) and those who accepted wife beating than among those who did not (aOR = 2.7, CI = 1.7–4.5). In contrast, the likelihood of intending to cut daughters was significantly lower among women with high than low knowledge (aOR = 0.4, CI = 0.3–0.7), and among those aged 45–49 than among those aged 15–19 (aOR = 0.2, CI = 0.0–0.6). Conclusion The findings underscore the need to align anti-FGM/C policies and programmes to women who have undergone FGM/C, those with low knowledge, women who support wife beating and young women. Such interventions could highlight the adverse implications of the practice by stressing the psychological, health and social implications of FGM/C on its survivors.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-021-01340-2Female Genital Mutilation/CuttingWomen’s intentionsCutting daughtersMulti-level analysisSierra Leone |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Edward Kwabena Ameyaw Seun Anjorin Bright Opoku Ahinkorah Abdul-Aziz Seidu Olalekan A. Uthman Mpho Keetile Sanni Yaya |
spellingShingle |
Edward Kwabena Ameyaw Seun Anjorin Bright Opoku Ahinkorah Abdul-Aziz Seidu Olalekan A. Uthman Mpho Keetile Sanni Yaya Women’s empowerment and female genital mutilation intention for daughters in Sierra Leone: a multilevel analysis BMC Women's Health Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting Women’s intentions Cutting daughters Multi-level analysis Sierra Leone |
author_facet |
Edward Kwabena Ameyaw Seun Anjorin Bright Opoku Ahinkorah Abdul-Aziz Seidu Olalekan A. Uthman Mpho Keetile Sanni Yaya |
author_sort |
Edward Kwabena Ameyaw |
title |
Women’s empowerment and female genital mutilation intention for daughters in Sierra Leone: a multilevel analysis |
title_short |
Women’s empowerment and female genital mutilation intention for daughters in Sierra Leone: a multilevel analysis |
title_full |
Women’s empowerment and female genital mutilation intention for daughters in Sierra Leone: a multilevel analysis |
title_fullStr |
Women’s empowerment and female genital mutilation intention for daughters in Sierra Leone: a multilevel analysis |
title_full_unstemmed |
Women’s empowerment and female genital mutilation intention for daughters in Sierra Leone: a multilevel analysis |
title_sort |
women’s empowerment and female genital mutilation intention for daughters in sierra leone: a multilevel analysis |
publisher |
BMC |
series |
BMC Women's Health |
issn |
1472-6874 |
publishDate |
2021-05-01 |
description |
Abstract Background Female genital mutilation is common in Sierra Leone. Evidence indicates that empowering women provides protective benefits against female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). Yet, the relationship between women’s empowerment and their intention to cut their daughters has not been explored in Sierra Leone. The aim of this study was to assess the association between women’s empowerment and their intention to have their daughters undergo FGM/C in the country. Methods Data for this study are from the 2013 Sierra Leone Demographic and Health Survey. A total of 7,706 women between the ages of 15 and 49 were included in the analysis. Analysis entailed generation of descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages), and estimation of multi-level logistic regression models to examine the association between women’s empowerment, contextual factors and their intentions to cut their daughters. Results A significantly higher proportion of women who participated in labour force reported that they intended to cut their daughters compared to those who did not (91.2%, CI = 90.4–91.9 and 86.0%, CI = 84.1–87.8, respectively). Similarly, the proportion intending to cut their daughters was significantly higher among women who accepted wife beating than among those who rejected the practice (94.9%, CI = 93.8–95.8 and 86.4% CI = 84.9–87.8, respectively). A significantly higher proportion of women with low decision-making power intended to cut their daughters compared to those with high decision-making power (91.0%, CI = 89.0–92.8 and 85.0% CI = 82.2–87.4, respectively). Results from multivariate regression analysis showed that the odds of intending to cut daughters were significantly higher among women who participated in labour force (aOR = 2.5, CI = 1.3–4.7) and those who accepted wife beating than among those who did not (aOR = 2.7, CI = 1.7–4.5). In contrast, the likelihood of intending to cut daughters was significantly lower among women with high than low knowledge (aOR = 0.4, CI = 0.3–0.7), and among those aged 45–49 than among those aged 15–19 (aOR = 0.2, CI = 0.0–0.6). Conclusion The findings underscore the need to align anti-FGM/C policies and programmes to women who have undergone FGM/C, those with low knowledge, women who support wife beating and young women. Such interventions could highlight the adverse implications of the practice by stressing the psychological, health and social implications of FGM/C on its survivors. |
topic |
Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting Women’s intentions Cutting daughters Multi-level analysis Sierra Leone |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-021-01340-2 |
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