Abstract:
This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between women’s empowerment
and fertility in rural Tanzania. Data were collected from randomly selected 120 women in
four randomly selected villages from two wards in Igunga District using a structured and
non structured questionnaire. Descriptive and regression analyses using Statistical Package
for Social Sciences were employed to determine the factors for fertility. Women’s
empowerment was measured by five proxies: economic decision making, mobility,
coercive control, family planning and contraceptive use, and family size decision making.
Fertility status was measured by age specific fertility rates and total fertility rates. Results
of descriptive analysis suggest that fertility of women was influenced by age of woman,
age at first birth, household size, marital status, education, occupation, economic decision
making, family size decision making, coercive control, and contraceptive use. Although
income did not show influence on fertility, employment status of woman indicated high
influence. The multiple regressions revealed that fertility level was attributed to factors of
age, household size, education, family size decision making, age at first birth, and marital
status which were statistically significant at p < 0.05 regression coefficients, implying that
the number of children born increases with age of woman and household size and it
decreases with increase in her education level, age at first birth, ability on family size
decision making, and age at first marriage. It was observed that women’s empowerment is
multidimensional, that is, different aspects do not necessarily co-vary together. A woman
may be decisive in one or several aspects like in mobility and coercive control but not in
other aspects like family size decision making. Thus, it has to be taken holistically. It is
recommended that women’s empowerment and sexual and reproductive health should be
institutionalised. Education system, beginning at lower levels syllabi, should emphasise
women’s empowerment and sexual and reproductive health to men and women to make the
wome
youth especially in rural areas avoid higher fertility for the national development.
