PDF, 1536K - Measure DHS

and 83 percent of those with primary education.
Furthermore, 88 percent of rural women agree
with at least one of the reasons justifying a
husband beating his wife, compared with 69
percent among urban women.
3.10 FEMALE CIRCUMCISION
Women interviewed in the survey were
asked a series of questions on female circumcision
in order to obtain information on the practice
in Ethiopia and women’s attitudes toward it.
Women were asked about both their own experience
with circumcision and the experience of
their daughters.
Table 3.11 Prevalence of female circumcision
Percentage of women who have been circumcised and the
percentage who support continuation of the practice of
female circumcision, by background characteristics, Ethiopia
2000
___________________________________________________
Percentage Percentage
Background of women who support
characteristic circumcised practice Number
___________________________________________________
Age
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
70.7 53.4 3,710
78.3 57.0 2,860
81.4 58.5 2,585
86.1 65.2 1,841
83.6 63.6 1,716
85.8 66.3 1,392
86.8 66.7 1,264
As seen in Table 3.11, the practice of
female circumcision is widespread in Ethiopia;
80 percent of all women have been circumcised.
The prevalence of female circumcision is lower
among women living in the Tigray (36 percent)
and Gambela (43 percent) regions, while it
reaches almost 100 percent in the Somali and
Affar regions. Urban-rural residence, education,
and work status do not make any notable difference
in the practice of female circumcision. The
practice is slightly lower among younger women.
There is widespread support for female
circumcision among Ethiopian women. When
asked whether the practice should continue,
60 percent of all women stated that they supported
circumcision (Table 3.11). Support for
the practice is greatly influenced by residence
and level of education. Rural women are twice
as likely to support the practice as urban women.
Women living in Addis Ababa and in the Tigray
and Gambela regions are relatively less likely to
support the continuation of the practice. Women
with secondary and higher levels of education
Residence
Urban
Rural
Region
Tigray
Affar
Amhara
Oromiya
Somali
Benishangul-Gumuz
SNNP
Gambela
Harari
Addis Ababa
Dire Dawa
Education
No education
Primary
Secondary and higher
Employment
Not employed
Employed for cash
Employed not for cash
Total
79.8 31.0 2,791
79.9 66.1 12,576
35.7 25.3 969
98.6 76.5 178
79.7 60.3 3,820
89.8 69.6 5,937
99.7 77.3 175
73.7 53.8 160
73.5 59.8 3,285
42.9 26.8 40
94.3 51.3 41
79.8 16.2 684
95.1 45.5 79
80.4 67.0 11,551
78.4 48.5 2,425
78.2 18.6 1,391
79.5 59.1 5,630
84.4 56.1 3,852
77.3 62.7 5,885
79.9 59.7 15,367
are also significantly less likely to support the practice (19 percent), compared with women with no
education (67 percent), as are women working for cash (56 percent), compared with other women.
Women interviewed in the survey who had at least one living daughter were asked questions
about the circumcision experience of their daughters. Table 3.12 shows that more than half of the
women reported that at least one of their daughters has been circumcised. Older, rural, and lesseducated
women are more likely to have at least one circumcised daughter, compared with the other
women. Women with secondary education or higher are least likely (26 percent) to have a circumcised
daughter, compared with 56 percent among uneducated women and 36 percent among those with
Respondent’s Characteristics and Status * 33