Bangladesh's Family Planning Success Story: A Gender Perspective

Abstract

Ethnographic data was collected from three villages in northern Bangladesh in Rangpur District and three villages in the west two in Magura District and one in Faridpur District. It is argued that the gender-based component of the family planning program was key to both its success and failure. The program was successful in increasing contraceptive prevalence but the community-based approach of meeting women in their own homes deprives women of a wider range of services and emphasizes womens responsibility for family planning. Intensive case studies were conducted in each village among 20 households that owned under one acre of land and with a married woman aged under 35 years who had at least one child. The sample included 104 women and 92 men. Another 47 women and 47 men lived in hamlets near the study sites and had adopted a contraceptive method during the year preceding the interview. Findings indicate that 5% desired another child in the future and 72% wanted no more children. 63% of women in the study sample were currently using a contraceptive method. 13% reported having aborted at least one pregnancy. 41% of women at risk of pregnancy reported the intention to have an abortion if they became pregnant again. Interviews revealed that respondents were increasingly becoming aware of their capacity to control fertility and of the obstacles to obtaining and using contraceptive methods. Community workers are treated within the pattern of traditional life in which women do not deal with outsiders. Community workers now tend to come from rural elite or middle class families. The status difference between workers and clients is viewed as responsible for indirectly reducing male opposition to womens use of contraceptives. Wives present information to husbands in the usual way by saying that the family planning worker recommends contraception. Men usually give permission in a noncommittal way. Door-to-door contraceptive distribution reinforced overreliance on village workers misinformation service unavailability during times of need fear of side effects and inadequate help with side effects. It is suggested that Bangladeshs family planning program be reevaluated and that approaches be targeted to mens roles and male methods.