Correcting Misperceptions About FGM: An Information Experiment in Bamako, Mali

Last registered on August 04, 2026
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Correcting Misperceptions About FGM: An Information Experiment in Bamako, Mali
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0019266
Initial registration date
July 29, 2026

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
August 04, 2026, 9:26 AM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

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Primary Investigator

Name
Olivia Bertelli
Affiliation
University Paris Dauphine
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Thomas Calvo
PI Affiliation
PI Name
Marion Mercier
PI Affiliation
PI Name
Emmanuelle Lavallée
PI Affiliation
PI Name
Sandrine Mesplé-Somps
PI Affiliation

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2026-07-28
End date
2026-12-01
Keywords
Gender, Lab
Additional Keywords
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
This plan outlines an information experiment about women’s attitudes towards female genital
mutilation (FGM) to be conducted in Bamako between July and October 2026. FGM remains
widespread in Mali. The latest DHS surveys suggest that almost 90% of women aged 15 to
49 have undergone the procedure – 92% in Bamako. Misperception of the level of support for
FGM, together with limited awareness of its risks for women’s health, may contribute to its
persistence. This project aims to assess whether correcting misperceptions and information
gaps can change attitudes and intentions about FGM. We previously measured the level of
support for FGM among men and women using list experiments, a technique that minimizes
reporting bias (Bertelli et al., 2025), and showed that support for FGM tends to be over-
reported in Bamako. Additionally, we surveyed women about their second-order beliefs and
found that their perceptions of societal support for FGM align more closely with public
declarations than with actual private attitudes. In collaboration with our local scientific
partner, we will recruit 3,430 women aged 18 to 40 in Bamako, of whom approximately 2,800
are expected to satisfy the ethical eligibility criterion and enter the information experiment.
Participants will be randomly assigned to receive one of four pieces of information on: (i)
men’s support for FGM in Bamako; (ii) support for FGM by the adult population of Bamako;
(iii) health consequences of FGM; or (iv) exclusive breastfeeding as an active placebo. Main
outcomes include attitudes elicited directly and through vignettes, privately self-reported
intentions, and a real donation decision. A telephone follow-up four to six weeks later will
assess persistence of the main effects, belief updating, and possible information spillovers.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Bertelli, Olivia et al. 2026. "Correcting Misperceptions About FGM: An Information Experiment in Bamako, Mali." AEA RCT Registry. August 04. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.19266-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Intervention Start Date
2026-08-02
Intervention End Date
2026-12-01

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
women’s first-order beliefs and behavioral outcomes related to FGM. In order
to limit social desirability bias and experimenter-demand effects we use different approaches to
collect respondent support for FGM: vignette, declared own support for FGM, Human-Assisted
Self-Administered (HASA) support for FGM, and a monetary donation
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
We will conduct the information experiment by randomly assigning respondents to one of
four groups:
1. T1: information about the share of men in Bamako who are not in favor of FGM;
2. T2: information about the share of people (men and women) in Bamako who are not in
favor of FGM;
3. T3: information about the health consequences of FGM;
4. C (Control): information about exclusive breastfeeding among Malian infants
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Randomization done in office by a computer
Randomization Unit
Individual
Was the treatment clustered?
Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
300
Sample size: planned number of observations
2800
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
700
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Ethics Advisory Committee for Partnership Research of IRD
IRB Approval Date
2025-07-08
IRB Approval Number
N/A
IRB Name
Comit´e National d’Ethique pour la Sant´e et les Sciences de la vie (CNESS)
IRB Approval Date
2026-07-06
IRB Approval Number
2026-007
Analysis Plan

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