OVER the last decades much concerns have been shown about the need to empower women so that they can make their own decisions about child bearing and about other areas of their lives. Lack of power over their own decision-making has long been recognized as a barrier to Improving women s sexual and reproductive health. Many NGOs have been demonstrating the link between women’s development and successful family planning programmes and were responsible for introducing innovative women's programmes in the 198Os. The 1980s saw a number of schemes that tried to combine income generation or literacy or some other aspects of improving women's status with family planning, in order to give women more control over their lives.
Women s status as reflected In their legal rights, age at marriage, education, employment are low tn Bangladesh. The women here do not have equal access to resources within the household and that their direct role In the process of reproduction gives them some Influence over Its out-
By age of 15—19 years nearly half of the females In Bangladesh are married indicating a low age at marriage for females. Information on age at marriage suggests that virtually there is no difference In the age at marriage between the two areas (the average Is about 15 years).
Fertility In Bangladesh Is still high. The 1989 BFS data show that lota) fertility is 4.5 per woman. The estimates of total fertility are 3.8 and 4.9 per woman in programme and control areas respectively. In Banglade*h, cultural values make motherhood and fertility Important sources of status for women. Other things being equal, women Mth many children may demonstrate more decision- making power In mar rlage than women with no children. Poor economic conditions and the consequent value of male children also have Impor tanl Implications for women's
position in the family.
Current use of contraception Is almost 15 percentage points higher in the programme area than tn the control area (52 per cent as against 37.1 per cent). The high contraceptive use in the programme area Is attributed to the fact that women enjoy more freedom In choosing the methods. Besides, family as well as community opposition to use family planning is considerably lower In the programme area: husband and wife communication Is stronger in the programme area
Fertility preferences as measured by desire for more children show that only about 20 per cent currently married women desire for more children in the programme area as against 35 jxtr cent in the control area. The mean number additional children is lower In the programme area than in the control area (1.7 as against 1.9 per woman).
Women's employment in wage work Is usually function of their poverty. The majority of them are from landless households and their contribution to the household budget Is critical to Its survival. It ts worth noting. however, that once a traditional boundary in the division of labour is crossed, the women are willing lo lake advantage of any new opportunities.
The mechanisms through which a wife's work influences 'fertility control are many and varied. Participation of women In income generation activities lowers their fertility because employed women are found to prefer a smaller family size as well as lo increase use of contraception. Many studies conducted elsewhere suggest that women's work stimulates Increased communication between the husband and the wife, as II enhances women's self confidence and communication skills
Policy Implications
Bangladesh is characterized by low literacy, low Income and low standard of living. This sit uatlon has resulted In high fertility associated with high ma temaj and infant mortality, poor
health and malnutrition. Sexual Inequality in the household, employment, income, education, political participation, health and nutrition are also sorqe of the consequences of the poverty. The policy Implications discussed here are based on the basis of the present study.
While the major focus of the policy should be to help increase the income of the poor rural women, it should also alm at to reduce sexual Inequality in crucial areas of life such as education. employment, income and health care. The policy implications of the women in development projects and their participation on women's post-
lion ts straightforward. The gain accrued from the participation need to be protected and expanded. To make lh,e women s projects viable, marketing . strategics for selling women's products need* prior consideration. , , . n j
It Is evident from the findings that participation in Income generation projects significantly affects decision regarding family size preferences. The positive effects of women's work on decision-making can not be exaggerated. Thus, more employment for women in the formal and Informal sectors will definitely accrue a number of
of Statistics. Jahangirnagar University. Savor. Dhaka.