The high fertility rate observed in Benin is perceived to be one of the causes of poverty within the population. In response, the reduction of births has been a political priority for the public authorities for several years and special emphasis has been placed on contraceptive promotion to encourage more couples to plan births. However, fertility rates remain extremely high and there is still a strong desire among married people for large families. According to current data, this high fertility rate can be explained because married people mistrust contraception for several reasons. Although relevant, this explanation is insufficient to fully understand all the factors driving this phenomenon in Benin. To understand the great desire for large families in Benin, we studied the meaning or significance of "the child" amongst married people. Through interviews with married people, we observed that the significance of having children is strongly rooted in the contextual realities of Benin. These results shed light on understanding high fertility rates among Beninese married couples. They also suggest that in Benin, the fertility reduction policy needs to go beyond simple contraceptive promotion by considering the frame of reference of married people regarding children.
In developing countries, millions of married women who want to use medical contraception are unable to do so for various reasons. To address this gap in access to contraception international development actors are emphasizing, among other things, the implementation of empowerment programs for women to enable them to take ownership of issues related to their sexual and reproductive health. Nevertheless, studies show that beyond their socio-demographic characteristics, negotiating contraception as a couple is the essential determinant of medical contraception usage among married women in developing countries. Thus, some authors suggest that this aspect be considered in the strategies of national family planning programs. However, we do not know much about the reasons underlying the negotiation or silence around contraception in Beninese married couples. To fill this gap, we conducted semi-structured interviews with women and men living as married couples in Benin. The results show that this type of negotiation is mainly influenced by specific factors that can act as levers or obstacles. These data could help family planning service providers in Benin and possibly other developing countries to ensure greater contraceptive use among married women.
Parental function remains one of the rare “jobs” that people exercise without any prior formal preparation. The consequences associated with poor parenting skills, however, raise many social issues. An important factor in positive parenting is the partage of and ability to fulfill parental roles. Unfortunately, parenthood is a very little explored field of research in Benin. To identify perceptions of parental roles in the country, one-on-one semi-structured interviews with married women and men were conducted. The results indicate a distinct division of parental functions along maternal-paternal lines with respondents perceiving sexual division of responsibilities as being ‘natural’ rather than through a gendered lens. And yet, the reality is that maternal ability to engage in income-generation activities is critically important in fulfilling parental roles and this is negatively impacted by childcaring responsibilities, especially in contexts of high fertility. In the context of developing and implementing parenting support policies, this data could be useful to public authorities and structures intervening in this field.
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