Female Genital Mutilation: Parental Perception and Religious Point of View

Abstract

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a cultural practice prevalent in various parts of Africa, the Middle East, and Asian countries. The study examined parents' perception of FGM in the Ilorin South Local Government Area of Kwara State. We also compared it with the religious point of view. The study adopted a descriptive research design. A sample of 378 parents was randomly selected to participate in the study. Once validated and reliably tested questionnaire was used for data gathering. The study was guided by one research question and three hypotheses. Mean, independent t-test and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were used to answer questions and test hypotheses. The findings of the study revealed that parental perception of FGM was negative. It also unfolded that there was no significant difference in the parental perception of FGM based on gender. Also, the findings showed that there was a significant difference in the Perception of parents toward FGM based on parental educational background. Finally, there was no significant difference in parental perception of FGM based on religion. While parental educational background influences their perception of FGM, parental gender did not influence their perception. It was recommended that government should introduce educational programs to raise awareness about the harmful effects of FGM among parents.