Completed
Fertility rates have fallen substantially in low- and middle-income countries, and efforts to limit fertility, primarily through the implementation of family planning programs, have become increasingly widespread. Although there is a substantial scholarly literature on the determinants of contraceptive use or other measures to limit fertility and on the resulting differentials in fertility, relatively little is known about the role played by women's empowerment and women's agency, as both determinants and consequences of fertility decline. In addition, there continues to be little consensus about the link between fertility decline and broader societal impacts, including economic development.
Featured publication
Workshop
·2021
Over the past several decades, fertility rates have fallen substantially in low- and middle-income countries, and efforts to limit fertility, primarily through the implementation of family planning programs, have become increasingly widespread. Although there is a substantial scholarly literature on...
View details
Description
An ad hoc planning committee will plan and execute a two-day workshop that will bring together experts and stakeholders to discuss conceptual, methodological, and policy issues regarding the relationship between family planning, women’s empowerment, and population and societal impacts. Questions that could be addressed during the workshop include:
- What are the ways in which women’s empowerment is measured and operationalized?
- What are the key data sources for studying the relationship between contraceptive use, fertility, and women’s empowerment? What are the key data limitations, and how might they be addressed?
- What are the mechanisms by which changes in attitudes toward and opportunities for girls and women affect changes in attitudes toward and use of contraceptives – and vice versa?
- To what extent does the nexus between family planning, fertility, and women’s empowerment vary within and across low- and middle-income countries?
- What is the link between women’s empowerment, fertility decline, and other population and societal impacts?
The planning committee will define the specific topics to be addressed, develop the agenda, and invite speakers and other participants. After the workshop, proceedings of the workshop will be prepared by a designated rapporteur in accordance with institutional guidelines.
Collaborators
Sponsors
The Gates Foundation
Staff
Krisztina Marton
Lead
Malay Majmundar
