A study of factors influencing female genital mutilation among infants in Mali

MSc (Population and Sustainable Development), North-West University, Mahikeng CampusIntroduction: Female genital mutilation encompasses all procedures which entail partial or total removal of the external female genitalia for non-medical purposes (WHO, 2016). WHO (2016) indicated that there are four types of FGM including clitoridectomy, excision, infibulations, and type four which is unclassified. FGM has long been considered as a violation of sexual reproductive and health rights for both girls and women as this cultural practice is associated with high health implications such as excessive bleeding, difficulty in urine passing as well as death of new-borns. Nonetheless, female genital mutilation varies according to age amongst different tribes in Africa. In Mali, this cultural practice is commonly practised among infants before their first birthday. However, the primary aim of this study is to study factors influencing female genital mutilation among infants in Mali. Methodology: The data which was utilized in this study was sourced from the 2018 Mali Demographic and Health Survey. The 2018 Mali Demographic and Health Survey is the 6th DHS conducted in Mali since 1987 and it is a national survey designed to provide data for monitoring population and health status for Malian population. The data was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25 and three approaches namely univariate (frequency distribution), bivariate (Cross Tabulation and Chi-Square test) and multivariate (Binary Logistic Regression) analysis were employed. The significance differences were determined using P