Women’s empowerment and fertility preferences in high fertility countries in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Background Nearly all countries with fertility levels of more than five children per woman are in Sub-Saharan Africa. Prestige, insurance in old age, and replacement in case of child deaths are related to preferences for large families. In this paper, we examine the association between women’s empowerment and fertility preferences of married women aged 35 years and above in four high fertility Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa (FSSA) countries, namely Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Chad. Method The ideal number of children among married women and their ability to have the desired number of children are used to measure fertility preferences. We used principal component analysis to construct a multidimensional empowerment index. We then estimated negative binomial and logistic regression models to examine the association between women’s empowerment and fertility preferences. Data are from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) conducted in the countries included in the analysis. Results Regardless of the country, more empowered women desire significantly fewer children compared with their less empowered counterparts. The first step to having fewer children is formulating programs to improve economic empowerment of women. The specific elements of women’s empowerment that were important for fertility preferences included education, skills development, decision-making power, and control over household resources. In addition, familial empowerment matters more than other dimensions of empowerment in influencing women’s ability to achieve the desired number of children in the FSSA countries included in the study. Conclusion Paid employment and access to and control over resources are factors which, if improved upon, could significantly reduce the ideal number of children. By taking necessary steps, mass media can be used much more adequately to reduce ideal number of children in FSSA countries. In addition, the desire for many children could also be due to their participation in income-generating activities to improve the household’s socio-economic status. The findings suggests that improvement of women’s ability to have the desired number of children is a big challenge to which policy makers must pay careful attention.

Human fertility in relation to education, economy, religion, contraception, and family planning programs

“…[87]). For Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Chad, "One of the key barriers to having desired number of children is sociocultural norms, especially the husband's role as primary decision-maker and the desire for a large family" [88].…”

Association between socioeconomic status and fertility among adolescents aged 15 to 19: An analysis of the 2013/2014 Zambia Demographic Health Survey (ZDHS)

“…In addition to reduced fertility, literature also suggests that higher educational attainment is linked to higher wealth status [29], suggesting that these are essential drivers of adolescent fertility that need to be looked into further. Keeping in mind the empowerment factors that are important for understanding fertility preferences among women-higher education, increased skills development, increased decisionmaking power, and more control over household resources [6], a case for keeping girls in school to reduce their fertility can be made, with a specific focus on rural and urban-poor adolescents who face reduced empowerment and severe income inequalities [30].…”

“…Educational attainment has globally been a factor in the definition of socioeconomic status, and it has often been argued that low socioeconomic status is linked to reduced access to quality education and health services. Other Socioeconomic empowerment factors; key in understanding fertility preferences among women include increased skills development, increased decision-making power, and more control over household resources [6]. Fertility challenges globally may thus be defined as a function of socioeconomic status, which may further be associated with early childbearing in LMICs [7].…”

Women's empowerment for abortion and family planning decision making among marginalized women in Nepal: a mixed method study

“…Women's autonomy in decision making over consensual sexual relations, contraception use and access to sexual and reproductive health services is key to their empowerment and the full exercise of their reproductive rights [19]. A woman's ability to say "no" to her husband/partner if she does not want to have sexual intercourse, decisions being made "mainly by the partner", as opposed to decision being made "by the husband or wife alone on contraceptives use is well aligned with the concept of sexual autonomy and women's empowerment [19]. In this study, more than four-fth couples decided jointly on using contraception, three-fth women were able to refuse sexual intercourse with their husbands.…”