A Study of Factors Influencing Female Genital Mutilation among Infants in Mali.

Langutani Nesco LN Miyambu, University of the Witwatersrand

Introduction: Female genital mutilation encompasses different types of procedures which entail partial or total removal of external female genitalia for non-medical purposes (WHO, 2016). FGM is a violation of women and girls’ health rights since it is associated with long- and short-term health implications. Methodology: The study utilized data from MDHS2018, and it was analyzed using SPSS version 27. Data was adjusted to mothers who had their infants circumcised. Three methods of analysis were employed, univariate, bivariate and binary logistic regression. The significant difference was determined using 5% interval (P<0.05). Results: The study revealed that there is a strong association between FGM and religion, education. Using Binary Logistic Regression, it was observed that there is a strong correlation between female genital mutilation and women who were residing in Koulikoro. Conclusion: Nonetheless, Malian government must take pertinent steps to implement resilient educational programs to empower women to eradicate this cultural practice