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Domestic Violence and Female Genital Mutilation in Kenya: Effects of Ethnicity and Education

NCJ Number
230074
Journal
Journal of Family Violence Volume: 25 Issue: 3 Dated: April 2010 Pages: 247-257
Author(s)
John Gordon Simister
Date Published
April 2010
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This study examined the effects of ethnicity and education on gender-based violence and female genital mutilation in Kenya.
Abstract
This paper investigates domestic violence against women, including definitions of 'domestic violence;' and investigates "Female Genital Mutilation." Data for this paper are from three national household surveys in Kenya: 'Demographic & Health Survey'(2003), Afrobarometer (2003), and 'Work, Attitudes, & Spending' (2004). Previous research in many countries has found convincing evidence of a tendency for domestic violence to be less common in households where the respondent and/or spouse have more education. This paper adds a new factor: the respondent's mother's education also seems relevant to prevalence of GBV (perhaps because of childhood socialization). This pattern applies to both experience of violence, and attitudes to such violence. There also appears to be a strong link between 'Female Genital Mutilation' (female circumcision) and mother's education level. In each case, more education is associated with less violence. Tables, figures, and references (Published Abstract)