Breaking with traditions: Who are the women with attitudes, norms and behaviors that support ending female genital mutilation in Burkina Faso?
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Studies examining norms and behaviors around female genital mutilation (FGM) are needed to accelerate progress towards the elimination of this harmful practice. This study uses nationally representative data from a pilot FGM module among women ages 15-49 from Burkina Faso collected in 2023/2024. Three main outcomes related to attitudes, norms and behaviors are used to determine which women who themselves experienced FGM are early adopters of norms and behaviors for stopping the practice in the future. Of the 95% of women who know about FGM, 69.5% experienced FGM, with higher prevalence in rural (74%) than in urban (55%) areas. Results demonstrate that among women who experienced FGM, education level and living in a Christian-headed household are associated with having early adopter attitudes, norms, and behaviors. Conversely, girls and younger women (ages 15-24) are less likely to have early adopter attitudes, norms, and behaviors than their older counterparts (ages 35+). Further, in the analysis of whether women who experienced FGM themselves performed FGM on their daughter(s) or if they would consider FGM for a daughter, for those who do not have daughters, we find that those who are innovators and not practicing FGM are more educated and Christian. In addition, younger women are more likely to report that they would continue FGM than their older counterparts. Results are discussed in the context of strategies to eliminate FGM, particularly among women in communities where FGM is common.
Source: PLOS Global Public Health
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,496
Funders: Translational Research and Applied Medicine, School of Medicine, Stanford University, United States Agency for International Development, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, American Heart Association, Melanoma Research Alliance, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, UNICEF, United Nations Population Fund, Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai, Duncan Family Institute for Cancer Prevention and Risk Assessment, Pennsylvania State University, Rune och Ulla Amlövs Stiftelse för Neurologisk och Reumatologisk Forskning, Genome Canada, Osteosynthesis and Trauma Care Foundation, Wellcome Trust, Alopecia UK, Innovative Research Group Project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Orthopedic Research and Education Foundation, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, IDP Foundation, Shanghai Municipal Health Commission, Genome British Columbia, National Institute for Health and Care Research, European Commission, Cotton Research and Development Corporation, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Agence Nationale de la Recherche, Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Vienna Science and Technology Fund, ZonMw, Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, King Saud University, China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, Research Grants Council, University Grants Committee, Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality, Innovation and Technology Commission, Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, China Scholarship Council, Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan, KWF Kankerbestrijding, Ministry of Health, British Columbia, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Norrbacka-Eugeniastiftelsen, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais, Azrieli Foundation, Agentúra na Podporu Výskumu a Vývoja, Université de Liège, Vedecká Grantová Agentúra MŠVVaŠ SR a SAV, Hospital for Sick Children, Natural Science Foundation of Henan Province, Natural Science Foundation of Shaanxi Province, Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province, Department of Education of Liaoning Province, Innovation and Technology Fund, LEO Fondet, Hebei Province Medical Science Research Key Project, Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centers, State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Benoziyo Endowment Fund for the Advancement of Science, Sickkids Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Agricultural Research Service, Horizon 2020 Framework Programme, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, HORIZON EUROPE Framework Programme, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Fonds de Recherche du Québec - Santé, Reformation Studies Institute, University of St Andrews, Australian Research Council, National Health and Medical Research Council, Natural Science Foundation of Anhui Province, National Postdoctoral Program for Innovative Talents, National Key Research and Development Program of China, National Major Science and Technology Projects of China, Science and Technology Program of Guizhou Province, Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation of Guangdong Province, National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institute of General Medical Sciences, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Ministero dell'Istruzione e del Merito, Grand Challenges in Global Health, NextGenerationEU
OpenAlex ID: W4417284229