# Attitudes towards wife-beating justification and its association with female genital mutilation – analysis of ever-married Somali women in the 2020 Somali Health and Demographic Survey

## TL;DR

This study finds that many Somali women justify wife-beating, especially if they believe female genital mutilation is a religious obligation.

## Contribution

The study reveals a significant link between justifying wife-beating and perceiving FGM/C as a religious duty in Somalia.

## Key findings

- 56.5% of women justified wife-beating for at least one reason.
- Women who believe FGM/C is religiously mandated are more likely to justify wife-beating.
- Higher rates of justification were found in older, less educated, and rural women.

## Abstract

In Somalia, despite its prohibition, female circumcision persists alongside significant intimate partner violence. This study examines the prevalence of wife-beating justification among Somali women and its link to the perception that female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is a religious obligation.

We studied 7726 married Somali women 15–49 y of age from the 2020 Somali Health and Demographic Survey. Using χ2 tests and logistic regression, we examined wife-beating justification by covariates and its connection to the perception that FGM/C is a religious obligation.

The prevalence of women justifying wife-beating for any of six reasons was 56.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] 55.3 to 57.6). A higher prevalence of wife-beating justification was found among women 35–49 y of age (59.9% [95% CI 57.8 to 61.9]), without education (57.7% [95% CI 56.5 to 59.0]), rural residents (57.8% [95% CI 56.3 to 59.2]), with lower socio-economic status (60.4% [95% CI 58.7 to 62.1]) and married before age 18 y (58.4% [95% CI 56.7 to 60.1]). Adjusted for covariates, logistic regression analyses indicated a significant association between wife-beating justification and the belief that FGM/C is mandated by religion (adjusted odds ratio 1.40 [95% CI 1.17 to 1.68], p<0.001).

Wife-beating justification is alarmingly common among Somali women and significantly associated with the belief that FGM/C is mandated by religion. Further research is necessary to investigate the drivers behind the acceptance of domestic violence, its impact on women's mental health and well-being and its association with FGM/C acceptance.