Science Journal of Public Health

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Gender Norms and Family Planning Decision-Making Among Married Men and Women, Rural Ethiopia: A Qualitative Study

Received: 26 February 2015    Accepted: 04 March 2015    Published: 09 March 2015
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Abstract

Family planning service contributes a lot in reduction of morbidity and mortality and it does more help couples to limit the number of their children. Women’s ability to control her on fertility strongly affected by social constructs of Gender role, expectations and gender inequalities. Objective: To explore influence of gender norms on family planning decision- making among married men and women, rural Ethiopia, 2013. Methods: A qualitative study using grounded approach was employed. Data collection included in-depth interview with key informants and focus group discussion as conducted with both married women and married men. Interview was done using a semi-structured interview guide with open-ended questions. Axial coding was employed. Codes were aggregated and memos are developed. Result: Different gender norms in the community were obstacles for family planning utilization in the community. Those different gender norms directly or being by complement with each other acts as the barriers of FP utilizations. Decision making power of men/husbands on family planning (needs for his consent by women/wives), seeing children as social prestige due to cultural beliefs, low status of women in community, undermine knowledge of women, limiting responsibility of women/wives to home, dominance of men/husbands on households, etc. Conclusion: Due to men’s dominance at the household level and other related factors, the role of women on family planning decision making was limited to merely accepting the decisions of their husbands. Furthermore due to men’s power of decision making the final decision was made based on the men’s interest.

DOI 10.11648/j.sjph.20150302.23
Published in Science Journal of Public Health (Volume 3, Issue 2, March 2015)
Page(s) 242-250
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Gender Norms, Qualitative Research, Grounded Theory, Family Planning Decision Making

References
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[6] Oladeji D. socio-cultural and norms factors influencing family planning choices among couples in Ibadan metropolis,Nigeria. ol abisi onabanjo university,ago- iwoye,Nigeria,. 2008.
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[21] Oyediran.K. Isiugo-Abanihe, Uche C.: Bankole. A. Correlates of spousal communication on fertility and family planning among the Yoruba of Nigeria. Journal of Comparative Family Studies (2006).37(3): p41-61.
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Author Information
  • Department of public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Adigrat University, Adigrat, Ethiopia

  • Department of Health Education and Behavioral Science, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia

  • Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public, Department of Health, Behavior and society, Baltimore, USA

  • Department of Health Education and Behavioral Science, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia

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    Dereje Geleta, Zewdie Birhanu, Michelle Kaufman, Bezawit Temesgen. (2015). Gender Norms and Family Planning Decision-Making Among Married Men and Women, Rural Ethiopia: A Qualitative Study. Science Journal of Public Health, 3(2), 242-250. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20150302.23

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    ACS Style

    Dereje Geleta; Zewdie Birhanu; Michelle Kaufman; Bezawit Temesgen. Gender Norms and Family Planning Decision-Making Among Married Men and Women, Rural Ethiopia: A Qualitative Study. Sci. J. Public Health 2015, 3(2), 242-250. doi: 10.11648/j.sjph.20150302.23

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    AMA Style

    Dereje Geleta, Zewdie Birhanu, Michelle Kaufman, Bezawit Temesgen. Gender Norms and Family Planning Decision-Making Among Married Men and Women, Rural Ethiopia: A Qualitative Study. Sci J Public Health. 2015;3(2):242-250. doi: 10.11648/j.sjph.20150302.23

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  • @article{10.11648/j.sjph.20150302.23,
      author = {Dereje Geleta and Zewdie Birhanu and Michelle Kaufman and Bezawit Temesgen},
      title = {Gender Norms and Family Planning Decision-Making Among Married Men and Women, Rural Ethiopia: A Qualitative Study},
      journal = {Science Journal of Public Health},
      volume = {3},
      number = {2},
      pages = {242-250},
      doi = {10.11648/j.sjph.20150302.23},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20150302.23},
      eprint = {https://download.sciencepg.com/pdf/10.11648.j.sjph.20150302.23},
      abstract = {Family planning service contributes a lot in reduction of morbidity and mortality and it does more help couples to limit the number of their children. Women’s ability to control her on fertility strongly affected by social constructs of Gender role, expectations and gender inequalities. Objective: To explore influence of gender norms on family planning decision- making among married men and women, rural Ethiopia, 2013. Methods: A qualitative study using grounded approach was employed. Data collection included in-depth interview with key informants and focus group discussion as conducted with both married women and married men. Interview was done using a semi-structured interview guide with open-ended questions. Axial coding was employed. Codes were aggregated and memos are developed. Result: Different gender norms in the community were obstacles for family planning utilization in the community. Those different gender norms directly or being by complement with each other acts as the barriers of FP utilizations. Decision making power of men/husbands on family planning (needs for his consent by women/wives), seeing children as social prestige due to cultural beliefs, low status of women in community, undermine knowledge of women, limiting responsibility of women/wives to home, dominance of men/husbands on households, etc. Conclusion: Due to men’s dominance at the household level and other related factors, the role of women on family planning decision making was limited to merely accepting the decisions of their husbands. Furthermore due to men’s power of decision making the final decision was made based on the men’s interest.},
     year = {2015}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Gender Norms and Family Planning Decision-Making Among Married Men and Women, Rural Ethiopia: A Qualitative Study
    AU  - Dereje Geleta
    AU  - Zewdie Birhanu
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    AU  - Bezawit Temesgen
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    DO  - 10.11648/j.sjph.20150302.23
    T2  - Science Journal of Public Health
    JF  - Science Journal of Public Health
    JO  - Science Journal of Public Health
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    EP  - 250
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2328-7950
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20150302.23
    AB  - Family planning service contributes a lot in reduction of morbidity and mortality and it does more help couples to limit the number of their children. Women’s ability to control her on fertility strongly affected by social constructs of Gender role, expectations and gender inequalities. Objective: To explore influence of gender norms on family planning decision- making among married men and women, rural Ethiopia, 2013. Methods: A qualitative study using grounded approach was employed. Data collection included in-depth interview with key informants and focus group discussion as conducted with both married women and married men. Interview was done using a semi-structured interview guide with open-ended questions. Axial coding was employed. Codes were aggregated and memos are developed. Result: Different gender norms in the community were obstacles for family planning utilization in the community. Those different gender norms directly or being by complement with each other acts as the barriers of FP utilizations. Decision making power of men/husbands on family planning (needs for his consent by women/wives), seeing children as social prestige due to cultural beliefs, low status of women in community, undermine knowledge of women, limiting responsibility of women/wives to home, dominance of men/husbands on households, etc. Conclusion: Due to men’s dominance at the household level and other related factors, the role of women on family planning decision making was limited to merely accepting the decisions of their husbands. Furthermore due to men’s power of decision making the final decision was made based on the men’s interest.
    VL  - 3
    IS  - 2
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