Young Married Women Research Articles

Use of Contraceptive Methods among Young Married Women in Nepal

Nepal has a fairly high adolescent fertility rate and low use of contraception. Lack of contraceptive use is a major contributor to the high rates of unintended pregnancies amongst youth. There is also lack of specific studies dealing with contraceptive behavior among young married women. This study examines the use and determinants of contraceptive methods over the time period of 15 years (2001-2016) among young women in Nepal. Trend and bi-vatiate analysis of this study is based on the Nepal Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), 2001, 2006, 2011 and 2016 data. The multivariate analysis is based on NDHS 2016 data of 2059 currently married non-pregnant young women aged 15-24 years. Logistic regression is used to assess the net effect of independent variables on dependent variable. The study shows that the contraceptive prevalence rate of young women is only 34 percent. Number of living children, spousal separation, husband education, women, occupation, wealth status, caste/ethnic affiliation, fertility preference, decision making status, ideal number of children they prefer and media exposure, are statistically associated to the use of contraception among young women in Nepal. There is a need to strengthen income generating activities so as to improve young women's socio-economic status which will translate into female economic and social empowerment hence ability to discuss sexuality related issues. Family planning programmes should be designed so as to address the contraceptive need of young women especially the low parity and Muslim adolescents.

Programmatic implications of unmet need for contraception among men and young married women in northern Nigeria.

PurposeThe study was designed to provide programmatic recommendations for interventions to increase contraceptive prevalence in northern Nigeria. Family-planning use in North-East and North-West regions of Nigeria has remained very low, despite years of domestic and donor investments. We examine respondents’ perceptions of their own need for contraception and specifically focus on young women because of their higher risk for maternal mortality.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, we interviewed 1,624 married women younger than 25 years and 1,627 men married to women younger than 25 years, in Kaduna and Katsina states in northern Nigeria. We classified respondents into five categories: 1) having no real need for contraception, 2) perceiving no need for contraception, despite physical or behavioral need, 3) having met need by using a modern contraceptive method, 4) perceiving met need by employing traditional practices, and 5) having unmet need for contraception.ResultsHalf of female respondents had no need for contraception because they were either pregnant or desiring a pregnancy at the time of the survey. A quarter of female and male respondents were not using contraception because of their religious beliefs. Less than 2% of respondents had unmet need because of lack of availability or access, or due to poor quality of care. Men had more positive views of family planning than women.ConclusionOur findings suggest that young women in northern Nigeria would benefit from a programmatic approach that targets men, utilizes religious leaders, and addresses the prevalent religious and sociocultural norms that present barriers to contraceptive use. Such interventions have the potential to increase contraceptive prevalence more substantially, but the literature on these types of interventions in northern Nigeria is scarce. Therefore, more research is needed to identify and document what approaches work or do not work to increase contraceptive use in northern Nigeria.

DOWRY, 'DOWRY AUTONOMY' AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AMONG YOUNG MARRIED WOMEN IN INDIA.

Dowry practice, women's autonomy to use dowry ('dowry autonomy') and the association of these with domestic violence were examined among young married women in India. Data were taken from the 'Youth in India: Situation and Needs Study' carried out in six Indian states during 2006-07. A total of 13,912 women aged 15-24 years were included in the study. About three-quarters of the women reported receiving a dowry at their marriage, and about 66% reported having the ability to exercise autonomy over the use of it - 'dowry autonomy'. Dowry given without 'dowry autonomy' was found to have had no protective value against young women experiencing physical domestic violence in India. While women's participation in paid employment increased the odds of them experiencing physical domestic violence, women's education and marrying after the age of 18 years reduced the likelihood of experiencing physical domestic violence.

Dowry, the Oppression of Women and Femicide in Bangladesh

The marriage transaction, commonly known as dowry, is a widespread phenomenon in Bangladesh, which has inevitably attracted much attention from social science researchers. This has transformed bride wealth marriages to dowry marriages in Bangladeshi society. A dowry is what the groom’s side demands in cash and kind from the bride’s side to complete the marriage. It is a major cause of women’s oppression, which starts from diversified psychological and physical torture that finally turns into femicide. The main objective of this paper is to analyse women’s oppression because of the dowry practice through marriage as a social problem in Bangladesh. This paper also explains the various dimensions of this problem, its multiple functions in women’s oppression, the nature of oppression in its various stages before femicide and the nature of femicide. The paper draws on secondary data from Bangladesh. It is observed that women in Bangladesh are physically, psychologically and socially oppressed by their husband and his family members in many ways because of the dowry. The nature of oppression is diverse in form, but ultimately these oppressions turn into femicide. The nature of femicide is also diverse, and some fire-related deaths and the suicides of young married women are also believed to be related to dowry.

Tourism and Grand Song: The Role and Influence on the Life of Young Women in Xiaohuang

ABSTRACTFolk music forms an integral part of life in ethnic villages, and its importance can be observed in many aspects of the traditional culture prevalent within these settings. Due to the economic benefits associated with tourism, ethnic minority groups have been endeavoring to repackage their cultural heritage into tourism products to maximize their commodity value. While considerable research has been undertaken on folk music in the context of commercialization or authenticity, the impact of tourism on community and link to gender issues has received little attention. Thus, this study explores the Grand Song as an ethnic tourism product and its influence on the present-day life of people residing in the village of Xiaohuang. The key finding is that although ethnic tourism based on the Grand Song performance on stage is not fully developed and cannot yet lead to economic benefits in Xiaohuang, it plays a significant role in preventing young villagers from departing from Xiaohuang in pursuit of work and in providing young married women with leisure opportunities to break the tedium of their daily routines as well as monetary benefits.

English

In Nigeria, the lifetime risk of death from pregnancy or childbirth complications is 1 in 30. Maternal healthcare utilisation addresses the risk of maternal mortality and morbidity but its utilisation is influenced by varying factors of which autonomy has been neglected especially for young married women. Therefore, this study examined the relationship between young married women’s level of autonomy and maternal health care utilisation in Nigeria. Secondary data from the 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey was analysed (n=4996) with consideration of young ever married women (age 15 to 24), who had at least one live birth in the last five years preceding the survey. The binary logistic regression models were fitted into the data. Findings revealed that only 30% of women aged 15 to 24 delivered at a health facility while 44% of the total pregnant women had four or more antenatal care visits before delivery. Also, young women with low autonomy were less likely to meet the minimum requirement of four antenatal visits (OR=0.35: CI: 0.29-0.43) and less likely to deliver at a health facility (OR=0.32: CI: 0.27-0.39). The study underscores the need to empower young women to achieve higher levels of autonomy due to its obvious implication on their health and to encourage integrated interventions that considers engaging household and community structures on the benefits of women autonomy and its importance for mother and child’s health. Policy and program considerations that would enable the removal of socio-cultural/demographic barriers towards women autonomy in Nigeria should be encouraged. Key words: Maternal healthcare utilization, antenatal, postnatal, place of delivery, women autonomy

Formation of Traditional Gender Attitudes among Young Married Women in Rural North Dinajpur, West Bengal: Does Religion Play A Role?

Despite the prevalence of gender inequality in developing countries like India, little attention has been paid on the process of gender norm acquisition among its population. This study thus, addresses the gap by exploring formation of gender attitude among women (specifically about their appropriate roles and their rights as well as legitimacy of domestic violence) taking religious affiliation and other possible determinants into account. Data was obtained and analyzed from a population-based survey among 500 young married women (18-30 years), Hindu and Muslim, in rural North-Dinajpur district of West Bengal, India. The results indicated a fairly patriarchal view of gender relations whereby respondents supported traditional division of roles between men and women, inequitable attitude towards girls and justified wife beating on various grounds irrespective of religious affiliation. However, the Muslim women had somewhat more non-egalitarian attitude. We found that higher autonomy among the respondents’ mothers (decision making and mobility) led to more egalitarian gender attitude whereas adverse experiences like witnessing parental violence during childhood led to more traditional attitude. Indicators of women’s empowerment such as higher age at marriage, higher education, mass media exposure and engagement in income generating activities were pacifiers in the development of non-egalitarian gender attitudes. Policy implications of the findings are also presented and discussed.

Contraceptive use and preferences of young married women in Kerala, India.

BackgroundAs in other states of India, female sterilization is the most widely used contraceptive method in Kerala where women have higher levels of education compared to most other states in India. This paper describes the use and preferences of contraceptive methods among young married women in Trivandrum district, Kerala, India.Subjects and methodsA community-based cross-sectional survey was carried out among 203 young married women (18–28 years) during January–March 2015 using multistage cluster sampling method. Statistical analysis was mainly descriptive, and chi-squared test was used to test the statistical significance of the relationship between sociodemographic factors and contraceptive use.ResultsThe average age at marriage for women was 21.3 years, and 23% of women had more than one child. Current use of any contraceptive methods was 58%. Female sterilization was preferred by 13% and it was significantly higher among women aged 25–28 years than in those aged 18–24 years (20% vs 2.6%, p<0.001). Female sterilization was significantly lower among women with higher levels of education than in women with an education level of plus two or below (5.8% vs 19%, p=0.006). Women were mostly in favor of female sterilization (91%), and a significantly lower proportion of highly educated women preferred female sterilization than women with an education of 12 years or below (85% vs 95.7%, p=0.008).ConclusionA considerable number of females in the age group 25–28-years opting for sterilization and the unique preference for female sterilization when the family size is complete show the predominant reliance on female sterilization among young women. Higher education delays sterilization in young women due to delayed marriage and childbirth. Women empowerment, proper information and assuring availability and accessibility to different methods can gradually change the dominant preference for female-oriented permanent method of contraception.

Assessment of Training and Capacity Building of Health Care Providers on Providing Quality Health Care Services with Special Focus on Pre-Conception Care: A Study in Rural India

Young married women (YMW) and adolescent girls do not obtain health care from early childhood until their first pregnancy. The current study aimed at strengthening Health Care Providers (HCPs) like Master Trainers, Auxiliary Nurse Midwifery, Accredited Social Health Activist and Anganwadi Workers, on preconception care through trainings and capacity building and assesses skillshift. Pre and post-test quantitative-experimental study design was used. Quarterly data was obtained from robust management information system maintained periodically, for analysing skill shift after providing mentoring and supportive supervision. A significant increase was seen in knowledge and service delivery on preconception care (PCC) from pre to post-test among MTs, ANMs, ASHAs and AWWs (7.8%, 15.8%, 16.1% and 29.2%; p ≤ 0.000). The logistic regression analysis depicted that different cadres of HCPs post training are more likely to have better knowledge on pre-conception care (PCC) and CoC, after adjusting for potential confounders. Significant shift is observed in knowledge, counselling and service delivery practices among HCPs about contraceptives, screening for complex diseases like diabetes, and hypertension, counselling for motherhood and delay in pregnancy for YMW. The present study indicates that trainings along-with mentoring and supportive supervision of HCPs on PCC, need emphasis to achieve better maternal and child health outcomes.

Lament and Death instead of Marriage: The Iconography of Deceased Maidens on Attic Grave Reliefs of the Classical Period

This article examines the iconography of Athenian maidens (parthenoi) from Classical-period funerary reliefs. By challenging the long-standing loutrophoros theory that this vessel is a symbol of untimely death before marriage, it becomes apparent that this meaning applies only when it is used in specific iconographic configurations in scenes on grave stelai or when it appears on top of a stele. The consideration of additional iconography exclusively characteristic of maiden figures on funerary reliefs, in conjunction with the iconography of prepubescent girls and young married women, leads to the conclusion that the Attic peplos and the shoulder-pinned back-mantle prove to be the most useful iconographical features for the identification of maidens.

Effectiveness of Community Intervention Program to Improve Maternal Healthcare Services Uptake among Young Married Women in Rural India

Background: The uptake of maternal healthcare services by young women in rural India is limited. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of community intervention model to improve the maternal healthcare service uptake of young married couples (15-24 years) in rural India. A three year project was carried out to reach young married women through a multi-pronged community intervention involving sensitizing family members, community mobilization, and capacity building of frontline health functionaries. Methods: The study was conducted among the young married couples aged 15-25 years in states of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan of India. A quasi-experimental evaluation design was adopted for this study. Two rounds of cross-sectional surveys at baseline and end line were carried out at both intervention and control sites. Net impact of intervention (Difference-in-Difference and multivariate regression) on key outcomes was assessed adjusting for control variables. Composite maternal healthcare uptake score significantly increased in intervention area compared to control area. Results: Women who were able to discuss about delivery care with family, were five times more likely to go for institutional delivery, also the utilization of maternal health care services was higher among these women (β=1.58). Likelihood of uptake for more than three visits for antenatal care (3+ANC) service indicated three times (OR=3.14, p<0.001), and more than three visits. Postnatal care (3+PNC) service indicated two fold (OR=1.82, p<0.001) increase in intervention area than those in control area. Regression result on composite maternal health care uptake score significantly increased by 2.5 (β=2.23, p<0.001) in intervention area compared to control area. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that the community intervention to foster enabling environment was effective in improving the awareness and uptake of maternal healthcare services.

Dowry Deaths in Bangladesh: A Study on Obligation under International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

The dowry system has been included in Bangladeshi Marriage system from Hindu marriage culture. In the rural areas, impact of this system is highly visible where it is treated as an essential component of every marriage contact. Dowry system has become a deep –rooted social custom and for this, many women are murdered, or they commit suicide. Interestingly, these incidents are caused those are vowed to protect them legally and socially. In Bangladesh, different kinds of laws have been introduced to minimize the social menace. Bangladesh is the member of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights where right to life and prohibition on arbitrary deprivation of right to life is ensured. But non payments of dowry deaths are on the rise despite legal intervention. This paper attempts to explain that lack of enforcement of anti-dowry laws, and also non-fulfillment of human rights obligation as mentioned in International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights by Bangladesh, are the main causes of dowry related maltreatments and even deaths of the young married women.

Longitudinal analysis of the impact of economic empowerment on risk for intimate partner violence among married women in rural Maharashtra, India

The purpose of this study was to assess via longitudinal analysis whether women's economic empowerment and financial inclusion predicts incident IPV. This prospective study involved analysis of three waves of survey data collected from rural young married women (n = 853 women) in Maharashtra at baseline and 9&18 month follow-ups. This study, which was in the field from 2012 to 2014, was conducted as part of a larger family planning evaluation study unrelated to economic empowerment. Participants were surveyed on economic empowerment, as measured by items on women's income generation and joint decision-making of husband's income, and financial inclusion, as measured by bank account ownership. Women's land ownership and participation in microloan programs were also assessed but were too rare (2-3% reporting) to be included in analyses. Longitudinal regression models assessed whether women's economic empowerment predicted incident IPV at follow-up. At Wave 1 (baseline), one in ten women reported IPV in the past six months; 23% reported income generation; 58% reported having their own money; 61% reported joint control over husband's money, and 10% reported bank ownership. Women's income generation and having their own money did not predict IPV over time. However, women maintaining joint control over their husband's income were at a 60% reduced risk for subsequent incident IPV (AOR = 0.40; 95% CI = 0.18, 0.90), and women gaining joint control over time were at a 70% reduced risk for subsequent incident IPV (AOR = 0.30; 95% CI = 0.13, 0.72), relative to women whose husbands maintained sole control over his income. Women who initiated a new bank account by Wave 3 also had a 56% reduced likelihood of reporting incident IPV in this same wave (AOR = 0.44; 95% CI = 0.22, 0.93), relative to those who maintained no bank account at Waves 1 and 3. These findings suggest that women's joint control over husband's income and her financial inclusion as indicated by bank ownership appear to reduce risk for IPV, whereas her income generation or control over her own income do not. Awareness of and participation in financial inclusion services may help reduce women's risk for IPV in rural India and elsewhere.

‘There was a struggle between my instinct and my head’: women’s perception and experience of masturbation in contemporary Vietnam

This paper investigates how masturbation, as one form of non-coital sexual practice, is interpreted and experienced by young married women in contemporary Vietnam. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 20 professional women aged 25–40 living in Hanoi. Thematic analysis suggests that by embracing the pursuit of pleasure and aspiring to achieve this goal, many women stake a claim for modernity by promoting the idea that they are no longer traditional in this particular domain of social life. However, wider social forces associated with traditional Vietnamese gender ideology and sexual values remain firmly rooted, impacting on their everyday lives as working wives and mothers, and stalling their pursuit of pleasure and thus ‘wellbeing’ in its fullest sense. Indeed, among participants in this study, sex was interpreted as being almost exclusively organised around penile-vaginal intercourse. Even when sex was conceptualised as involving more than penetration, penile-vaginal intercourse was still viewed as its most essential component, without which a sexual transaction could not be seen as complete. The normality of penetrative sex was sometimes coupled with the stigma and discrimination associated with other non-coital sexual practices, positioning women firmly within conventional discourses of naturalness and health in regard to sex.

Young Married Women’s Perceptions On The Maeanings And Motivations For Their Husbands’ Opposition To Their Modern Contraceptive Use In Malawi

Abstract The aim of the study was to examine the perceptions of young married women on meanings and motivations of partner opposition to their contraceptive use. Qualitative data was collected from focus group discussions and individual in-depth interviews with young married women and key informant interviews with health workers and traditional leaders in the districts of Ntcheu, Mangochi and Zomba in Malawi. Thematic data analysis was done using ATLAS ti software version 7. The results show that partners’ opposition to young married women’s use of contraceptives was perceived to be principally motivated by their husbands’ quest to control the sexual and reproductive lives of their spouses. Related to this aspect are the fears and misconceptions that use of modern contraceptives would relieve young married women of the fear of engaging in extra marital affairs as they would no longer be afraid of being discovered through pregnancy. Hence, the opposition was perceived to safeguard their marriages from instability and dissolution. The paper asserts that there should be a shift in the family planning programme delivery in the country aimed at reducing or eliminating partner opposition to young married women’s contraceptive use through involvement and inclusion of partners in the designing and implementation of contraceptive information and service provision interventions.

Letter to the Editor relating to the paper Young married women’s perspectives on the motivation and dynamics for their husbands’ opposition to their modern contraceptive use in Malawi by Benjamin Kaneka and Akim J. Mturi

Letter to the Editor relating to the paper <i>Young married women’s perspectives on the motivation and dynamics for their husbands’ opposition to their modern contraceptive use in Malawi</i> by Benjamin Kaneka and Akim J. Mturi

Comment on the paper Young married women’s perspectives on the motivation and dynamics for their husbands’ opposition to their modern contraceptive use in Malawi by Benjamin Kaneka and Akim J. Mturi

Comment on the paper <i>Young married women’s perspectives on the motivation and dynamics for their husbands’ opposition to their modern contraceptive use in Malawi</i> by Benjamin Kaneka and Akim J. Mturi

Cross-Country Evidence on the Relationship between Overwork and Skilled Women's Job Choices

This paper examines the relationship between the prevalence of overwork and skilled women's labor force participation and occupational choice. Using country-level variation, we find a negative relationship between the share of males working 50+ hours a week and the LFP of young married women, with the correlation being much smaller for single women and older married women. Using a panel of occupations across countries, we find that overwork in an occupation is negatively correlated with the share of married women working in that occupation. This finding is robust to controlling for the occupational distribution of groups with fewer household responsibilities.

Determinants of institutional delivery among young married women in Nepal: Evidence from the Nepal Demographic and Health Survey, 2011

ObjectivesTo identify the determinants of institutional delivery among young married women in Nepal.DesignNepal Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) data sets 2011 were analysed. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were...

Determinants of non-use of family planning methods by young married women (15-24 years) living in urban slums of Uttar Pradesh

Background: Total fertility rate of Uttar Pradesh is 2.7 with annual growth rate of 16.5. Age specific marital fertility rate (ASMFR) in Uttar Pradesh is highest in the age group of 20-24 years (383.9) followed by 15-19 years (271.0) age group. Use of contraceptives is also very low in this most productive age group. Among the Young married women in the age group of 15-24 years the contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) is only 27.75% which is quite low than the target CPR of 60%. State level data presents a grim picture of contraceptive use in the slum areas in comparison to non-slum areas. This slum population is the most vulnerable section of our society. Aims &amp; Objectives: i) To assess the prevalence of non-use of contraceptives among young married women living in urban slums. ii) To understand the reasons for non-use of contraceptives among young married women. iii) To explore the factors influencing non-use of contraceptive among young married women. Materials and Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out in the urban slums of Lucknow. Out of the eight Nagar-Nigam zones in Lucknow, one Urban-Primary Health Centre was selected randomly from each zone. From each Urban- Primary Health Centre, 2 slums were selected randomly. In selected slum, all the households were visited until at least 33 young married women (15-24 years) were interviewed using a pre-tested questionnaire to obtain the desired sample size of 535. The data was analyzed using SPSS 16.0. Results: Current use of contraceptives was found to be 33.8 % and almost two-thirds (66.2%) of the participants were not using any form of contraceptive method. The important reasons for non-use of contraception were embarrassment / hesitancy / shyness regarding family planning, lack of knowledge about the contraceptive method or place of availability of services, opposition to contraceptive use by husband or family members and women’s desire to get pregnant. About one third of the women had no perceived need for contraception. Among the various bio-social and fertility related variables, educational attainment of the women, employment status, parity, autonomy of the women, attitude of the husband towards family planning, motivation to adopt contraceptive and contact with ANM during home visits were the prime independent predictors for non-use of contraceptives. Conclusion: The study found contraceptive use to be very low among the young married women. The findings showed that motivation of women to adopt family planning method through counseling along with provision of youth friendly services are needed to be address to achieve improvement in contraceptive use among these young married women living in urban slums.