Study: “Family Planning and Women’s Sexual and Economic Empowerment”
PI(s): Gunning, Jan Willem
Co-PI(s): Chilundo, Baltazar Gonçalo Mazungane; Hardon, Anita Pedra; Janssens, Wendy; Pradhan, Menno
Affiliation(s): VU University of Amsterdam; Eduardo Mondlane University
Institutional Partner(s): NWO/WOTRO RCN (2012 Joint RFP (PopDev))
Project Dates:
Start: 2013
End: 2015
Data Source(s): Sexual Behavior Diary (SBD); Socioeconomic Diary (SED)
Methods: Randomized Controlled Trial
Geographic Location(s): Mozambique

Description:
This research aims to deconstruct the reciprocal relationship between women’s empowerment and family planning. On the one hand, labor market participation directly affects women’s financial independence and thus, their decisionmaking power and economic autonomy. On the other hand, the ability of women to influence family planning decisions is strongly influenced by their economic and sexual empowerment. The research team conducted two independent but interrelated multidisciplinary studies in Mozambique. The first study is a quantitative sexual behavior diary (SBD) study on women who do not want to become pregnant within the next two months. The objective is to examine how women’s empowerment status, negotiation skills, and awareness, in conjunction with specific social and economic circumstances, affect consistent use of family planning methods. The second is a quantitative socioeconomic diary (SED) study among pregnant women to determine how a newborn child affects consumption and savings behavior within the household, female labor market participation, time allocation of female household members, and nutrition intake.