Higher Education, Femininity and Fertility: Exploring Lived Experiences of Educated Women in Mazabuka, Zambia
Keywords:
Fertility rate, higher education, contraceptives and culture, femininity
Abstract
This study investigated the experiences of women with higher education on fertility rate in Mazabuka district, Zambia. It is based on contraceptive practice and reproduction, transcendence of cultural beliefs and practices that suppress women on fertility control. The study invoked the theory of demand and supply promulgated by Gary and Becker. The interpretive phenomenological research design was utilised. A sample of fifteen educated women, possessing a minimum of master’s degree, were purposively sampled. Data was collected through face-to-face interviews was analysed, using Inductive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) thematic analysis. The findings of the research among others, revealed that the years of schooling had affected educated women’s fertility because they postponed marriage and child bearing due to schooling. The study also found that years of schooling had promoted, empowered and given women the independence to an extent that some men were intimidated to marry them. The women were also aware of the benefits, risks, effectiveness, effects and the correct use of contraceptives. Based on the findings, the study recommends, among others, the need for society to be sensitised on the social, economic and private benefits of marrying and having children with an educated woman.References
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17. Klasen ,S. (2002). ‘Low schooling for girls, slower growth for all? Cross country evidence on the effect of gender inequality in education on economic development’. The World Bank Economic Review, Vol. 16, No 3, PP. 345-373.
18. Mapoma, C.C, Masaiti, G Sikwibele, M & Kasonde, M. (2022). The Relationship between Spousal Violence and Levels of Education of those spouses with particular reference to women spouses’ respondents in the 2013-14 Zambia Demographic and Health Survey. International Journal of African Higher Education, 9 (1), pp 1-10
19. Mapoma, C.C. & Masaiti, G. (2012). Social Isolation and Aging in Zambia: Examining possible predictors. Journal of Aging Research: Hindawi Publishing Corporation, Vol.537467 (2), pp. 1-6.
20. Mapoma, C.C. & Masaiti, G. (2012). Perception of and Attitudes Towards Aging in Zambia. European Journal of Educational Research: 2 (1), pp 107-116.
21. Mapoma, C.C. (2013). “Population Ageing in Zambia: Magnitude, Chellenges and Determinants” Unpublished PhD Thesis, University of Zambia: Lusaka.
22. Miller, W.B. (1992). Personality Traits and Developmental Experiences as Antecedents of Childbearing Motivation, Demography, 29 (2), pp. 265-285.
23. Nair, R.V., Ashok, V.G., & Solanke, P.V (2016). A study on contraceptive use among married women of reproductive age group in a rural area of Tamilnadu: India. International
24. Shirahase, S. (2000). Women’s Increased Higher Education and the Declining Fertility Rate in Japan. Review of Population and Social Policy, No. 9, 47–63
25. Vavrus, F. (2000). The Relationship Between Schooling and Fertility in Tanzania. Takemi Program in International Health Harvard School of Public Health 665 Huntington Avenue, Rm.1-1104 Boston, MA 02115 USA.
26. Zacharia, K.C. (1995). Karala’s Demographic Transition: Determinants and consequences (New Delhi: Sege).
2. Becker, G.S., & Lewis, H. G. (1973).On the interaction between the quantity and quality of children. Journal of Political Economy, 81(2), S279–S288.
3. Chicocane, L. Education and Fertility:Evidence from a policy changein Keny. IZA Discussion Paper No6778,2012.
4. Creswell, J.W (1994). Research design: Qualitative and Quantitative approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
5. Creswell, J.W (1998). Qualitative inquiry and research design; choosing among five traditions. Thousand oaks, Ca; Sage.
6. Creswell, J.W. (2009), Research Design: qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods approaches (3rd ed). London: SAGE Publications.
7. Dyson, T., & M Moore (1983), ‘On Kinship Structure, Female Autonomy, and Demographic Behavior in India’, Population and Development Review, 9, 35- 60.
8. Elizabeth J. Mason, E.J. (2010). Identifying Factors of Influence on Family Planning Practices Among Rural Haitian Women. Wesley Rohrer, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Health Policy &Management, Department of Health Information Management, Graduate School of Public Health, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Pittsburgh.
9. Fariyal F. Fikree and Amanullah Khan (2001). International prospective on Fertility and Productive Health. What influences contraceptive use among young women in urban squatter settlements of Karachi, Pakistan.School of Health and Reproduction, University of Pakistan.
10. Gordon, C. (2011). Women’s Education and Modern; Contraceptive Use in Ethiopia. Department of Education, University of Sussex. International Journal of Education ISSN 1948-5476, Vol. 3, No. 1: E9
11. Güneş, P.M. (2013). The Impact of Female Education on Fertility: Evidence from Turkey. Grand Challenges Canada Economic Returns to Mitigating Early Life Risks Project Working Paper Series, Population Studies Center 7-29
12. Islam, Md. S., & Hasan, M. (2016). Women Knowledge, Attitude, Approval of Family Planning and Contraceptive Use in Bangladesh. Asia Pacific Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, Vol. 4, No. 2.
13. Jejeebhoy, Shireen (1996). Women’s education, autonomy and reproductive behaviour: Experience from Developing Countries (Oxford: Oxford UniversityPress).
14. Journal of Reproduction, Contraception, Obstetrics and Gynecology Nair RV et al. Int J Reprod Contracept Obstet Gynecol. 2016 Sept; 5(9):3147-3152 www.ijrcog.org
15. Kelly, M.J.(1996). The origins and development of education in Zambia; From Precolonial times to 1996. Lusaka; Image Press
16. Kim, J. (2016). Female education and its impact on fertility: The relationship is more complex than one may think. IZA World of Labor: 228 doi: 10.15185/izawol.228 wol.iza.org
17. Klasen ,S. (2002). ‘Low schooling for girls, slower growth for all? Cross country evidence on the effect of gender inequality in education on economic development’. The World Bank Economic Review, Vol. 16, No 3, PP. 345-373.
18. Mapoma, C.C, Masaiti, G Sikwibele, M & Kasonde, M. (2022). The Relationship between Spousal Violence and Levels of Education of those spouses with particular reference to women spouses’ respondents in the 2013-14 Zambia Demographic and Health Survey. International Journal of African Higher Education, 9 (1), pp 1-10
19. Mapoma, C.C. & Masaiti, G. (2012). Social Isolation and Aging in Zambia: Examining possible predictors. Journal of Aging Research: Hindawi Publishing Corporation, Vol.537467 (2), pp. 1-6.
20. Mapoma, C.C. & Masaiti, G. (2012). Perception of and Attitudes Towards Aging in Zambia. European Journal of Educational Research: 2 (1), pp 107-116.
21. Mapoma, C.C. (2013). “Population Ageing in Zambia: Magnitude, Chellenges and Determinants” Unpublished PhD Thesis, University of Zambia: Lusaka.
22. Miller, W.B. (1992). Personality Traits and Developmental Experiences as Antecedents of Childbearing Motivation, Demography, 29 (2), pp. 265-285.
23. Nair, R.V., Ashok, V.G., & Solanke, P.V (2016). A study on contraceptive use among married women of reproductive age group in a rural area of Tamilnadu: India. International
24. Shirahase, S. (2000). Women’s Increased Higher Education and the Declining Fertility Rate in Japan. Review of Population and Social Policy, No. 9, 47–63
25. Vavrus, F. (2000). The Relationship Between Schooling and Fertility in Tanzania. Takemi Program in International Health Harvard School of Public Health 665 Huntington Avenue, Rm.1-1104 Boston, MA 02115 USA.
26. Zacharia, K.C. (1995). Karala’s Demographic Transition: Determinants and consequences (New Delhi: Sege).
Published
2023-11-27
How to Cite
Masaiti, G. and Ndonyo, M. (2023) “Higher Education, Femininity and Fertility: Exploring Lived Experiences of Educated Women in Mazabuka, Zambia”, Journal of Law and Social Sciences, 5(3), pp. 1-18. doi: https://doi.org/10.53974/unza.jlss.5.3.1124.
Section
Articles