Page 149 - IJPS-11-5

International Journal of
Population Studies Fertility desire of married women

to health care, education, and financial resources may of childbearing, which could help them make informed
be limited, making it difficult for families to adequately decisions about family size.
support more children. On the contrary, in Zambia, married The findings of this study pose the need for
women who were living in rural areas were less likely to strengthening family planning initiatives in SSA countries
limit childbearing compared to those living in urban areas. to enable women to achieve their desired family size.
Compared to Mali, Zambia has experienced economic Educational campaigns that highlight the health,
transitions that influence family planning decisions. In economic, and social benefits of smaller family sizes can
urban areas with higher living costs and greater access help balance the traditional values of large families while
to education and employment opportunities, women offering alternatives. The desire to limit childbearing is
may choose to delay marriage and childbearing, leading associated with contraceptive use. Women who are often
to a reduced desire to limit fertility later. Conversely, in exposed to family planning information through health
rural settings where economic benefits are tied to larger services, outreach programs, or community education
families, early marriage and higher fertility may remain are more aware of the options available to control the
prevalent (Teshale et al., 2022). Other studies in SSA have number and timing of their children (Bwalya et al., 2023;
also reported similar results (Ahinkorah et al., 2021). This Teshale et al., 2022). This knowledge influences their
is an expected result and reflects rural-urban disparities decision to limit childbearing. This study is an eye-opener
in socioeconomic conditions among women. Women to expanding access to a wide range of contraceptive
living in urban areas are likely to be more educated and methods, particularly in rural and underserved areas,
increasingly exercise autonomy over their reproductive which can empower more women to control their fertility
health (Samuel et al., 2021). On the other hand, women and limit childbearing.
living in rural areas often face challenges with access to
reproductive health services. However, these trends may Our study found that in Mali, Tanzania, and Zambia,
vary across countries in SSA. This particular finding could married women who participated in household decision-
highlight the need for improved reproductive health-care making were more likely to limit childbearing compared
access delivery, especially in rural areas where women to those who did not. Women involved in household
usually walk long distances to access maternal health care. decision-making often have greater autonomy over key
aspects of their lives, including reproductive choices,
In all the countries analyzed, we found that married
women with lower parity were less likely to limit which allows them to make informed decisions about the
childbearing compared to those with higher parity. Women number of children they want (Demissie et al., 2022). In
addition, women who participate in household decisions
with fewer children are often influenced by societal tend to have better communication and negotiation power
expectations, economic considerations, and partner or with their partners regarding family size, enabling couples
family pressures to continue childbearing until they reach to discuss and agree on limiting childbearing after reaching
what is considered an acceptable family size (Tufa et al., a mutually desired number of children. In societies where
2023). In contrast, those with higher parity may feel they women’s access to education and employment is limited,
have fulfilled these expectations, making them more
willing to consider limiting childbearing due to health, early marriage and higher fertility are often normative, as
economic, and personal reasons. In addition, lower parity seen in Mali. Enhancing women’s socioeconomic status
women may have been less likely to receive education through education and workforce participation can shift
or counseling on family planning after a few births, these norms, empowering women to make informed
reproductive choices and potentially leading to a preference
especially in settings where maternal health services are for smaller families. A similar study done in Nigeria found
not fully provided during antenatal care (Ahinkorah et al., that those women who participated in household decisions
2021). Furthermore, married women with fewer children
often have less knowledge or access to contraception, had a higher desire to limit childbearing than those who
particularly in rural or underserved areas, such as Mali and did not participate (Atake & Gnakou Ali, 2019). This study’s
Zambia, where lower contraceptive awareness can prevent findings catalyze the need for empowerment programs to
them from even contemplating limiting childbearing due enhance women’s participation in household decision-
to a lack of means (Gilda & Ashford, 2016; Namukoko making by promoting gender equality in the family.
et al., 2022). Similar dynamics may be observed in other This study applied Easterlin’s demand–supply
countries where religious influences shape family-size framework, the GAD framework, and the Social Influence
decisions (Ahinkorah et al., 2021). This finding suggests Theory, which provide a more holistic analysis of the
the need to provide comprehensive reproductive health determinants of the desire to limit childbearing among
education to women, especially during their early years married women in SSA. Easterlin’s model explains the

Volume 11 Issue 5 (2025) 143 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.5584