Socio-Demographic Characteristics of Respondents
A total of 333 women took part in the survey, with a 96 percent response rate. Due to incompleteness, fourteen questionnaires (3.4%) were rejected. Daughters in this study ranged in age from 18 to 49 years old. The average age was 34.05 years (SD 7.9). In terms of religious affiliation, 166 respondents (49.8%) were Protestant, 111 (33.3%) were Orthodox, and 42 (12.6%) were Muslims. The ethnicity of almost all of the interviewees was Wolayita (270). (81.1 percent). In terms of education, 208 (62.5%) of respondents were literate, while 125 (37.5%) had no formal education. In terms of familial educational background, the vast majority of research participants were uneducated. Formal schooling was followed by 212 (63.6%) and 121 (36.4%). Husbands of respondents 143 (42.9 percent) had some level of education, while others had no formal education (Table 1).
Table 1: Socio-Demographic Characteristics of women’s of Damot Gale Woreda, Wolayita Zone, Southern Ethiopia 2018.
Variables
|
Frequency
|
Precentage
|
Age of the respondents
Age 18-22
Age 23-27
Age 28-32
Age 33-37
Age >38
|
30
78
95
46
84
|
9
23.4
28.5
13.8
25.2
|
Religion of the respondent
Protestant
Orthodox
Muslim
Catholic
|
166
111
42
14
|
49.8
33.3
12.6
4.2
|
Ethnicity of the respondent
Wolayita
Amhara
Oromo/kambata/Hadiya/Other
|
270
48
15
|
81.1
14.4
4.5
|
Educational status of the respondent
Illiterate
Literate
|
208
125
|
62.5
37.5
|
Literacy status of the father
Literate
Illiterate
|
143
190
|
42.9
57.1
|
Literacy status of the mother
Literate
Illiterate
|
121
212
|
36.3
63.7
|
The majority of the respondents (324, or 97.3 percent) were married, while some (8, or 2.4 percent) were divorced, and one was widowed (0.3 % ). Ninety-two percent (57.7%) of fathers were farmers, whereas 151 percent (45%) of moms worked as housewives. In terms of respondents' wealth, sixty-eight (20.4%) were judged to be in the second quintal index level, while about the same proportion (19.8%) were in the highest quintal index level. As a result, we concluded that the amount of wealth among respondents is not considerably different (Table 2).
Table 2: Marital Status and Socio Economic Characteristics of women’s of Damot Gale Woreda, Wolayita Zone, Southern Ethiopia 2018.
Variables
|
Frequency
|
Precentage
|
Marital status
Married
Divorced
Widowed
|
324
8
1
|
97.3
2.4
0.3
|
Occupation of the Husband
Farmer
Civil servant
Merchant
Other
|
192
14
84
43
|
57.7
4.2
25.2
12.9
|
Occupation of the mother
Housewife
Civil servant
Farmer
Merchant
Other
|
151
9
98
61
14
|
45.5
2.7
29.4
18.3
4.2
|
Wealth quintal
Lowest
Second
Middle
Fourth
Highest
|
66
68
66
67
66
|
19.8
20.4
19.8
20.1
19.8
|
Figure 2 depicts the frequency distribution of female genital mutilation in relation to respondents' educational status. Their educational background ranges from uneducated (no formal schooling) through grade twelve. In a nutshell, the graph showed that as educational levels rose, so did the prevalence of female genital mutilation (fig. 2).
Prevalence of the Female Genital Mutilation
Two hundred and ninety-six (88.9%) of the total responders were circumcised, whereas just thirty-seven (11.1%) were not circumcised. The majority of circumcisions were done on children aged 1 to 5, accounting for 171 circumcisions (51.4 %). Despite the fact that all types of circumcision were used in the studied area, Clitoridoctomy 286(85.8) is the most common kind of FGM. Traditional circumcisers 131 performed the majority of the circumcisions at home 282 (95.5%). (39.3 percent ). When asked who made the decision to circumcise their daughters, the majority decided by moms (182 (54.6%), dads 139 (41.7%), and 12 (3.6%) by the daughter herself (Table 3).
Table 3: Characteristics of Women's Genital Mutilation of women’s of Damot Gale Woreda, Wolayita Zone, Southern Ethiopia 2018.
Variables
|
Frequency
|
Percentage
|
Circumcision status
Circumcised
Uncircumcised
|
296
37
|
88.9
11.1
|
Age at circumcision
1-5
6-10
11-15
16-20
21-25
>25
|
171
86
34
3
1
1
|
51.4
25.8
10.2
0.9
0.3
0.3
|
Type of circumcision
Clitoridoctomy
Infibulations
Other
|
286
3
7
|
85.8
0.9
2.1
|
Place of circumcision
At home
Private clinic
Other
|
282
3
11
|
95.5
0.6
3.3
|
Decision power on FGM
Husband
Wife
Daughter
|
139
182
11
|
41.1
54.9
3.3
|
Factor Associated with FGM
Circumcision is regarded as a good tradition and typical practice by 154 (46.2%) of the total respondents, whereas FGM is regarded as the best practice for the cleanliness of female genitals by 24 (10.5%) of the total respondents. Eighty-one (24.3%) of the women would like to continue circumcision because they believe it is a positive custom. When asked about their plan to circumcise their daughters, the majority of respondents (84 percent) said they would continue the practice.
In terms of FGM treatment, around 183 (35.4%) and 66 (19.8%) of women believe that legislation enforcement and women's access to education are the best approaches to prevent FGM, respectively, whereas only one (0.3%) respondent believes that dads should take the effort to prevent FGM. Even though the vast majority of respondents 216 (64.9%) are aware of the dangers of female genital mutilation, nearly half of them154 (46.2%) confirm the practice's continuation because it is seen as a positive custom 81 (24.3%). (Table4).
Table 4: Factors associated to FGM of women’s of Damot Gale Woreda, Wolayita Zone, Southern Ethiopia 2018.
Variables
|
Frequency
|
Percentage
|
FGM should continue
Yes
No
|
154
179
|
46.2
53.8
|
Main reasons FGM continued
Good tradition
Cleanliness
Reduction of female sexual hyper sensitivity
Better marriage prospect
To prevent female from early initiation of sex
Prevention of virginity
|
81
36
10
16
9
2
|
24.3
10.8
3.0
4.8
2.7
0.6
|
Participate FGM intervention activity
yes
no
|
240
93
|
72.1
27.9
|
Best way to stop FGM
Enforce legislation
Sexual education
Education to women
Improve status of women
Father responsibility
|
118
37
66
22
1
|
35.4
11.1
19.8
6.6
0.3
|
Knew FGM cause health problems
Yes
No
|
216
117
|
64.9
35.1
|
Health Problems on circumcised women
During sexual intercourse
During menstrual flow
Obstructed labor
Bleeding due to procedure
Other
|
85
58
73
74
6
|
28.7
19.5
24.6
25
2.2
|
Continue to circumcise daughters
Yes
No
|
280
53
|
84.1
15.9
|
Regarding health complication out of those who face the complication of FGM 31.8%, 56.8% and 11.4% were went to health institution, traditional healer and other places to cure from the defect respectively (Fig. 3)
When females were asked if they had ever heard of Female Genital Mutilation, nearly two hundred ninety-nine percent (89.8%) said they had recently learned of FGM in the research region. While nearly ten percent of respondents had no access to information regarding FGM, 121 (36.3%) acquire their knowledge via the radio. Furthermore, 250 (75.1%) of women are aware of written laws against female genital mutilation. When asked about female genital circumcision and its impact on women's rights, the majority of respondents (71.5%) were unaware of the legal status of FGM, while just 28% of women believe circumcision violates women's human rights (Fig. 4).
Despite the fact that several measures to prevent FGM were carried out in the research area, the prevalence of FGM remains high due to insufficient law enforcement and community resistance (table 5). This is in line with a qualitative study in which the majority of focus group discussants stated that punishment was ineffective and that the community was resistive to anti-FGM efforts.
Table 5: Knowledge about Persistence of FGM of women’s of Damot Gale Woreda, Wolayita Zone, Southern Ethiopia 2018.
Characteristics
|
Participants
|
Frequency
|
Heard messages on existence of FGM
Yes
No
|
300
33
|
90.1
9.9
|
Sources of information about FGM
Radio
Religion leader
Community conversation
Educated children
Anti-FGM committee
Health extension
Women’s affair
|
121
19
81
6
11
61
1
|
36.3
5.7
24.3
1.8
3.3
18.3
0.3
|
Knowledge of circumcision as crime
yes
No
|
250
83
|
75.1
24.9
|
Do you know anyone who punished by FGM
Yes
No
|
171
161
|
51.6
48.3
|
Do you expose any action which promote FGM
Yes
No
|
228
105
|
68.4
31.5
|
If no why
Fear of Social exclusion
Good Tradition
Lack of commitment
I have no information
Fear of religious leader
|
17
62
11
12
3
|
5.1
18.6
3.3
3.6
0.9
|
Is there any activity in your community to stop FGM
Yes
No
|
228
104
|
68.5
31.2
|
Why FGM exist in your community
Weak implementation of law
Community resistance to anti-FGM activity
Other
|
135
89
8
|
58.2
38.4
3.4
|
|
|
|
|
Analysis of Factors Associated to Female Genital Mutilation
Bivariate Analysis
Bivariate analysis revealed the following: maternal education (COR: 0.467, 95 percent CI: 0.212, 1.029), age of daughters (COR 1.92, 95 percent CI: 0.53, 1.25) house hold wealth index quintal (COR: 0.768, 95 percent CI: 0.550, 1.072), father's educational status (COR: 1.135, 95 percent CI: 0.808, 1.595), good tradition (COR: 1.135, 95 (COR: 9.895, 95 percent CI: 2.213, 4.251), At a p-value of 0.25, knowledge of FGM health complications (COR: 0.339, 95 percent CI: 0.134, 0.859) and knowledge of FGM law (COR: 0.042, 95 percent CI: 0.005, 0.349) were candidate variables for a multivariate logistic regression model(Table6).
Table 6: Bivariate Analysis of Factors associated with FGM of women’s of Damot Gale Woreda, Wolayita Zone, Southern Ethiopia 2018.
Characteristics
|
FGM
|
P value
|
COR
|
Yes
|
No
|
Maternal education
Literate
Illiterate
|
121
212
|
36.3
63.7
|
1
0.049
|
1
0.467
|
Age at circumcision
1-5
6-10
11-15
16-20
>21
|
171
86
34
3
2
|
|
0.0482
|
0.92
|
Wealth quintile
Lower quintile
Second quintile
Middle quintile
Fourth quintile
Highest quintile
|
66
67
66
67
66
|
19.8
20.2
19.8
20.2
19.8
|
0.121
|
0.768
|
Husband Education
Educated
No education
|
143
190
|
42.
57.1
|
1
0.165
|
1
1.135
|
Good tradition
Yes
No
|
152
180
|
45.6
54.4
|
1
0.003
|
1
9.895
|
Knew FGM cause health problems
Yes
No
|
216
116
|
64.9
34.8
|
1
0.023
|
1
0.339
|
Knowledge towards FGM law
Yes
No
|
250
81
|
75.1
24.3
|
1
0.103
|
1
0.042
|
Multivariate Analysis
During crude analysis, factors were adjusted using multiple logistic regressions to predict variables related with Female Genital Mutilation. At a p-value of 0.05, variables such as age, maternal education, traditional FGM, and knowledge of health complications connected to FGM were significant.
The odds of experiencing FGM were nearly 45 percent higher in mothers who did not educate than in mothers who did [AOR: 0.454, 95 % CI: 0.209, 0.984]. The odds of experiencing FGM were about two times higher in younger daughters than in elder daughters [AOR: 0.454, 95% CI: 0.209, 0.984]. (AOR: 1.86; 95 % CI: 0.42, 0.98). Women who accept FGM because of tradition have 14 times higher odds of performing it than women who oppose it [AOR: 14.595, 95% CI: 3.391, 6.807]. Moreover FGM in the house hold which mothers didn’t know about the any of health complication of FGM were 35% more at risk of performing FGM as compared to in the house hold in which mothers knows about the health complication of FGM [AOR: 0.356, 95% CI :0.145, 0.877].(Table 7).
Table 7: Multivariate Analysis of factors associated with FGM of women’s of Damot Gale Woreda, Wolayita Zone, Southern Ethiopia 2018.
Characteristics
|
FGM
|
P value
|
COR
|
AOR
|
Yes
|
No
|
Maternal education
Literate
Illiterate
|
121
212
|
36.3
63.7
|
0.045
|
1
0.467
|
1
0.454
|
Age at circumcision
1-5
6-10
11-15
16-20
21-25
>25
|
171
86
34
3
1
1
|
|
0.0423
|
1.92
|
1.86
|
Good tradition
Yes
No
|
152
180
|
45.6
54.4
|
0.000
|
9.895
1
|
14.595
1
|
Knew FGM cause health problems:
Yes
No
|
216
116
|
64.9
34.8
|
0.025
|
1
0.339
|
1
0.356
|