Gender context, women’s autonomy in union and fertility in rural Cameroon

AMINA VANESSA NGAMTIATE, Institut de Formation et de Recherche Démographiques (IFORD)
Didier Nganawara, Institut de formation et de Recherche Démographiques

In Cameroon, fertility levels remain high, particularly in rural areas. The average number of children per woman in rural areas is 6.0, compared with 3.8 in urban areas (INS, 2018). This high level of fertility is linked to several factors including unequal relationships regarding decision-making in households. This paper focuses on the study of the relationship between gender context, women's autonomy in union and fertility in rural Cameroon. Specifically, the aim is to describe the relationship between the autonomy of women in union and fertility, to identify the profile of these women, to explain this relationship, and to identify the mechanism of action of the explanatory factors. The data come from the 2018 Demographic and Health Survey. The methods of analysis are both descriptive and explanatory. From the descriptive point of view, analysis of variance is used at the bivariate level and multiple correspondence factor analysis at the multivariate level. At the explanatory level, multiple linear regression is used in a multilevel approach to highlight the individual and contextual factors of this relationship.

Keywords: Fertility, Gender Dynamics, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Family Planning and Contraception

See paper.