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Review
. 2017 Nov;49(6):713-743.
doi: 10.1017/S0021932016000663. Epub 2017 Jan 10.

WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT AND FAMILY PLANNING: A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Ndola Prata  1 , Ashley Fraser  1 , Megan J Huchko  2 , Jessica D Gipson  3 , Mellissa Withers  4 , Shayna Lewis  5 , Erica J Ciaraldi  3 , Ushma D Upadhyay  6
Affiliations
Review

WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT AND FAMILY PLANNING: A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Ndola Prata et al. J Biosoc Sci. 2017 Nov.

Abstract

This paper reviews the literature examining the relationship between women's empowerment and contraceptive use, unmet need for contraception and related family planning topics in developing countries. Searches were conducted using PubMed, Popline and Web of Science search engines in May 2013 to examine literature published between January 1990 and December 2012. Among the 46 articles included in the review, the majority were conducted in South Asia (n=24). Household decision-making (n=21) and mobility (n=17) were the most commonly examined domains of women's empowerment. Findings show that the relationship between empowerment and family planning is complex, with mixed positive and null associations. Consistently positive associations between empowerment and family planning outcomes were found for most family planning outcomes but those investigations represented fewer than two-fifths of the analyses. Current use of contraception was the most commonly studied family planning outcome, examined in more than half the analyses, but reviewed articles showed inconsistent findings. This review provides the first critical synthesis of the literature and assesses existing evidence between women's empowerment and family planning use.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Literature review flow chart.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Distribution of all analysis by empowerment domain (N = 433).
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Percentage of articles by family planning outcome (N = 46). Total number of outcomes (N = 65) exceeds the total number of articles as some articles examined multiple outcomes. Other family planning outcomes included eleven outcomes examined in eight articles: family planning knowledge (n = 3 articles), wife’s approval (n = 2 articles), advocacy, correct family planning ‘practice(s)’, effective use of method, contraceptive behaviour scales, fertility control and post-marriage contraceptive use interval (n = 1 articles each).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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