An attempt to measure female status in Pakistan and its impact on reproductive behaviour.

Abstract

Data from the 1991 Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey is used to examine the bivariate relationship between female status and fertility, female status and sex preference for the next child, female status and current contraceptive use, and female status and discussion by couples of family planning and family size. Female status is measured by educational level of females, husband's educational level, current work status, each occupation level of spouses, exposure to media, and mobility. High, medium, and low variants are the status groupings. There are 69% in low status, 29% in medium, and 2% in high status groups. 57% of urban and 80% of rural women were low status. 40% of urban and 20% of rural were medium status. 3% urban and 1% rural were high status. Fertility among low status women was 34% with under 4 children, 28% with 4-7 children, and 6% with 8 or more children. 16% of medium status women had under 4 children, 12% had 4-7 children, and 2% had 8 or more children. 1% of high status women had under 4 children, and 1% had 4-7 children. 51% of all women did not want more children. 65% of low status women did not currently use contraception. 5% of medium status women were nonusers; 1% of high status women, 4% of low status women, and 25% of medium status women were users. There was a negative relationship between female status and number of living children. Increased status also was related to declines in the sex preference. The sign was positive for low status women and negative for medium status women. In general, it was suggested that increased female status was related to increased contraceptive use at earlier parity and decreased fertility. There was a negative relationship between female status and frequency of couple discussion about family planning for low and medium status women and a positive one for high status women. The relationship with family size showed the reverse pattern whereby increased status led to discussion of family size among low and medium status couples and not high status couples. The implication was that fertility cannot be explained solely by female status.