Full Citation
Title: Intergenerational Transmission of Female Genital Cutting: Community and Marriage Dynamics
Citation Type: Journal Article
Publication Year: 2019
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Abstract: Objective This study examined how characteristics of households and communities are implicated in the intergenerational transmission of gender inequality and particularly female genital cutting (FGC). Background Human capital perspectives suggest that socioeconomic inequality predicts FGC continuation. This study contributes to discussions of institutional change by examining the association of decisions to forego FGC with household decision making patterns and community gender norms. Method Multilevel logistic regression was deployed to analyze a pooled sample (N = 12,144) of six demographic and health surveys from Burkina Faso, Egypt, Guinea, Kenya, Mali, and Nigeria. A series of models examined how decision making styles, both at the household and community levels (2,524 demographic and health survey cluster aggregations), and community levels of FGC correspond with the risk of having a daughter cut. Results The results show that daughters are less likely to be cut when parents make key household decisions jointly. Autonomous decision making by women at the community level was associated with lower odds of daughters being cut. However, at the community level, the impacts of women's household decision making were attenuated when FGC was more prevalent. Conclusion The findings suggest that women's decision making status is an important factor in FGC abandonment, although that association is less robust when FGC is highly institutionalized. This study provides new insights into how women, families, and communities can disrupt the intergenerational transmission of behaviors associated with institutionalized gender inequality.
Url: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jomf.12560
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Authors: Boyle, Elizabeth Heger; Svec, Joseph
Periodical (Full): Journal of Marriage and Family
Issue: 3
Volume: 81
Pages: 631-647
Data Collections: IPUMS Global Health - DHS
Topics: Fertility and Mortality, Other
Countries: Burkina Faso, Egypt, Guinea, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria