An Assessment of Women’s Empowerment and Its Linkages With Use of Family Planning in India

Deepanjali Vishwakarma , International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)

This paper envisages the relationship between recent waves of women's empowerment and use of family planning methods in India. Findings are based on two rounds of National Family Health Surveys (NFHS-3 & 4). To assess the inequality in women’s empowerment, Liberson’s Diversity Index has been used. Varying degrees of equity in women’s empowerment across all the states of India builds a combative relationship with uptake of family planning methods. Use of any modern-method of contraception has remained almost unchanged during the last one decade. Age, wealth-quintile & participation in household decision are significantly associated with use of family planning methods. Women status in India has improved in different dimensions, yet patriarchal norms influence the decision of using and choice of family planning methods. The women-centric bottom-top approach in the current strategy of implementing family planning programme should focus at the women’s right to decision on their own life & health.

See extended abstract

 Presented in Session 1. Fertility, Family Planning, Sexual Behavior, & Reproductive Health 1