Gender Power Relations in Reproductive Decision-Making: The Case of Migrant Weavers of Addis Ababa
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Date
2009-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Reproductive decision-making is strongly associated with gender power relatiolls be/ween
couples. In mOllY developing counlries mOSI of reproduclive decisions are made by mell although
il is, as well, Ihe cOllcern of \Vomell. Helice, Ihis study was undertaken wilh Ihe objective of
assessing lite gender ·power relations 111 reproductive decision-making, particulariy
contraceptive Lise and rnaternal health service utilization decision-making of migrolll wel/vers,
who are livillg ill Addis Ababa,jiom Galno Gofa zone ofSNNPR.
To allain Ihe .Ipeci/ied objectives, the sludy used bOlh quanlilative and qualitalive daw. The
quan.litalive daw was collecled by using structured questionllaire from 317 married couples,
whereas the qualitative dara was collected from six women and three men key ir~rormaJ1's.
Simple descriptive slC/lislies and l11ullinomiallogislic regression analysis were used to de/ermine
factors !lWl i1~/lllell ce reproductive decision-making. The quantilalive dOl(f II "{/S (/Jwly:.ed by
using STATA alld SPSS .wjilvare packages, while Ihe qualitalive data was allaly:"t/ 1).1' /lsillg
t fiang u I CI t i Oil.
Accordingly, aboul 34% and 30% of women an.d 17.7% and 45.1 % of men had womell-centered
and joint conlraceplive use decision -making altitude, respectively. Besides, 22.1% and 32.6% of
women; alld 4.2% and 91.7% of lllen reported thallhey made Ihe contraceplive /lse decision by
Iheir OIVI1 and jointly with Ih eir spouses, respectively. On Ihe olher hand, Ihe majorily or
respondenls pori rayed Ihal Ihey appreciale joinl I/laternal health service uliliZiliion decisiollI/
laking and practice il ill their household. The multivariale analysis result revealed Ihat women
ill the age groujJ (~r 30 yeo rs (lnd above; and literates made the reproductive decisions hy their
own orjointly with their husbands. Besides, working women have women-centered c()Jllr(lceprive
use decision-making and joinr or women-centered maternCll health service wilizatiort decisiol1-
making; women lVith fewer children mClde the contraceptive use decision. alone or joillfly wirh
their husbands; women accessing media in regular basis made the contraceptive lise c/ecisicm by
their own; (lnd women who are I/ot victim of violence participate in maternal health serFice
utilization decision-IIU/king. A/1/ong men, being literate and having smaller /'Il1mher (~r cllildrl'tI
(Ire each associ(lled lVith joillt or women-centered maternal health service Ufili:.atiol/ decisionmakillg;
30+ years ~r age lIIell and mel1 who did not harass or abuse Iheir wives lIIade eqllal
participation, wilh Iheir wives, for maternal heallh service ulilizalion decision-making; and men
with regular (Iccess to media leI their wives decide on maternal health service wilitaliun.
In light oj" Ihe above results, empowering the study populalion in general and womell '.I' of Ihe
sludy cOllllllunily in "articular Ihrough education and employment opportunilies ))IiI/ ins"ire
egalitarian or lVomen-cel/tered reproductive decision-making pattern. This. in lUl'n, helps
couples 10 allOin Iht highesl slOllc/ard of sexual and reproduclive heallh.
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Keywords
Reproductive Decision-Making