Religion has been seen as one of the most important predictors of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), yet there are almost no studies that empirically examine how religion affects the parents' decision to subject their daughters to FGM/C. Thus, the authors investigated how several aspects of religiosity-religious affiliation, prayer frequency, religious service attendance, religious fundamentalism, perceived governmental unfairness toward one's own religious group, and perceived religious suppression-contribute to the parents' decision for FGM/C. They analyzed randomly sampled cross-sectional data of African parents from 19 Sub-Saharan countries with a sample size of N = 13,077. The overall prevalence rate of parents having any of their daughters circumcised was 20%, varying per country from 1% (Cameroon) to 88% (Mali). Participants belonging to a traditional African religion reported the highest prevalence of FGM/C with 62%, followed by Muslim parents with 34%, unaffiliated parents with 14%, and Christian parents with an FGM/C rate of 10%. Using multilevel logistic regression, we found that parents' decision for FGM/C was predicted by religious affiliation, lower prayer frequency, higher religious service attendance, higher perceived governmental unfairness, being older, and a lower level of education, but not by religious fundamentalism, perceived religious suppression, and gender. Thus, religiosity has differential effects on the parents' decision for FGM/C: Although on its own, praying decreases the likelihood that parents will subject their daughters to FGM/C, the social aspects of religiosity increase this likelihood.
NSTL
Educational Publishing Foundation-American Psychological Assoc
