COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE PREVALENCE AND PREDICTORS OF FEMALE GENITAL CUTTING IN RURAL AND URBAN COMMUNITIES IN KANO, NIGERIA

COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE PREVALENCE AND PREDICTORS OF FEMALE GENITAL CUTTING IN RURAL AND URBAN COMMUNITIES IN KANO, NIGERIA

Abstract

Objective: Women and girls face a number of inequitable difficulties that violate their fundamental human rights. One of these violations is Female Genital Cutting (FGC). The practice persists in parts of the world including Nigeria despite concerted global efforts by human rights movements to curb it. This study compared the prevalence and predictors of FGC among rural and urban women in Kano, Nigeria.
Methods: Using systematic sampling, a cross section of 300 women each were selected from households in rural Danbare and urban Sharada communities and interviewed in Hausa language by trained female research assistants using interviewer administered questionnaires with mostly closed ended questions. The questionnaires inquired about socio-demographic characteristics of respondents, whether or not they have heard of female circumcision and reported experience of FGC. If the participant indicated that they had had FGC (been circumcised), further questions were asked regarding timing, place, type, circumciser and complications. Other questions elicited beliefs, reasons for doing FGC and attitude towards FGC.
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Results: Most of the 293 respondents 269 (91.8%) in rural Danbare and 277 (95.5%) of the 290 respondents in urban Sharada indicated that they had heard of female circumcision. More than half of the respondents in rural Danbare 154 (52.6%) [95% Confidence Interval (CI) 46.7% to 58.4%] reported that they had undergone FGC. A significantly higher proportion of women 196 (67.6%) [95% (CI) 61.9% to 72.9%] in urban Sharada reported that they had the cut (P<0.01). The procedure was mostly done during infancy (82.5% and 83.7% among rural and urban respondents). Of the 24 women in rural Danbare who remembered details of the procedure, three women (12.5%) were cut and flesh removed; 18 (75%) had only a cut while two women (8.3%) were sewn closed. Similarly, of 20 women who recalled the event in urban Sharada, 4 (20.0%) had a cut with flesh removed; 13 (65.0%) had only a cut while 3 (15.0%) were sewn closed (infibulations). There was no statistically significant difference in the types of FGC practiced in the rural and urban communities (P>0.05). Complications reported among rural and urban respondents included excessive bleeding (16.7% versus 15.0%); difficulty with urination (20.8% versus 30.0%) and disfigurement of genital area among (8.3%) rural respondents only. There was no statistically significant difference in the occurrence of complications in the two communities (P>0.05). Reasons and perceived benefits of the practice among rural and urban respondents include; culture (72.0% versus 84.1%), improved marriage prospects (26.6% versus 37.6%), enhanced sexual pleasure for men (11.6% versus 14.1%), preservation of virginity/prevention of premarital sex (6.8% versus 9.7%) and social acceptance (5.1% versus 5.5%). Of those who have had the procedure, 17.5% and 21.9% of rural and urban respondents were displeased with their FGC status and 51.9% and 47.6% of them wanted the practice discontinued. In multivariate regression models, ethnicity and educational attainment were significant predictors of FGC in both communities. The higher prevalence of FGC in urban dwellers could be due to rural-urban migration, higher proportion of non-Hausa Fulani in the urban area and the increasing medicalization of the procedure in the urban area. While objecting to the continuation of FGC, the perceived cultural importance of the practice may be encouraging the medicalization of the procedure among urban dwellers, who consider it safer.
Conclusion: FGC is still common in both study areas with preponderance among urban residents’. This calls for a comprehensive educational, occupational and legal framework supported by communities, civil society, governments and development partners to address this form of gender discrimination.

Title Page———i

Certification——–ii

Dedication———iii

Acknowledgement——-iv

Abstract ———vi

Table of Content——–vii

 

Chapter One

1.0 Introduction ——-1

1.1 Statement of Problem——4

1.2 Purpose of the Study——5

1.3 Significance of Study——8

1.4 Limitation——–9

1.5 Scope of Study——-11

 

Chapter Two

2.0 Review of Related Literature —-12

2.6 Summary of Literature Review—- 19

 

Chapter Three

3.0 Research Methodology and Procedure—22

3.1 Population ——–22

3.2 Sample and Sampling Technique—-22

3.3 Validation of the Instrument —-23

3.4 Reliability of the Instrument —–23

3.5 Data Analysis——-23

 

Chapter Four

4.0 Presentation and Discussion of Result—24

4.1 Analysis and interpretaion of Data—25

4.2 Discussion of Results——38

 

Chapter Five

5.0. Summary, Conclusion, and Recommendation  –40

5.1 Summary——–40

5.2 Conclusion——–41

5.3 Recommendation——42

References ———45

Appendix 1——–47

Appendix ———50

COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE PREVALENCE AND PREDICTORS OF FEMALE GENITAL CUTTING IN RURAL AND URBAN COMMUNITIES IN KANO, NIGERIA

 

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