Open AccessWomen's status and family planning in Bangladesh: An analysis of focus group data
Author(s) -
Ruth Simmons,
Rezina Mita
Publication year - 1995
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Reports
DOI - 10.31899/rh1995.1000
Subject(s) - focus group , fertility , family planning , qualitative property , psychology , sociology , economic growth , socioeconomics , business , demography , population , economics , marketing , research methodology , computer science , machine learning
This study involved secondary analysis of a substantial set of 1987–88 focus group data from Bangladesh’s Matlab Thana, where the Family Planning and Health Services Project was underway since 1977. The project was highly successful in increasing family planning (FP) acceptance and provided a rich research base for studying the diffusion of FP and its effects. The study involved 36 focus groups with fieldworkers, community women, husbands, educated women, and community leaders. The intent of the present study is to examine the effect of FP on women's status in Bangladesh, and to prepare papers on that topic. Following leads in the data itself, two papers were prepared under this subcontract. One concerns the effect of the FP fieldworkers on the knowledge and attitudes of young, unmarried women toward fertility and FP; the other presents a qualitative analysis of the fertility transition in Bangladesh, contributing to the ongoing debate on whether fertility decline is caused by demand-side or supply-side factors. This report reviews both documents.