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The community-level effects of women's education on reproductive behaviour in rural Ghana

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  • Kofi D. Benefo

    (City University of New York)

Abstract

Using survey and census data for rural Ghana collected in the 1980s, this study examines the ability of women’s education to increase interest in fertility regulation and contraception among all women, regardless of their individual and household features. The study finds that, net of her own characteristics, a woman’s interest in limiting fertility and using modern contraception increase with the percent of educated women in her community. These results suggest that female education has a greater capacity to introduce novel reproductive ideas and behaviors into rural areas of Africa and thereby transform the demographic landscape in the region than is currently believed. There is also evidence that female education may undermine existing methods of regulating fertility. Other community characteristics that increase women’s interest in regulating fertility and contraceptive use in this setting include access to transportation and proximity to urban areas. However, these are not as powerful as women’s education in transforming reproductive behavior.

Suggested Citation

  • Kofi D. Benefo, 2006. "The community-level effects of women's education on reproductive behaviour in rural Ghana," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 14(20), pages 485-508.
    • Handle: RePEc:dem:demres:v:14:y:2006:i:20
    DOI: 10.4054/DemRes.2006.14.20
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Øystein Kravdal, 2012. "Further evidence of community education effects on fertility in sub-Saharan Africa," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 27(22), pages 645-680.
    2. Nicholas Kofi Adjei & Sunnee Billingsley, 2017. "Childbearing Behavior Before and After the 1994 Population Policies in Ghana," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 36(2), pages 251-271, April.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    education; reproductive behavior; contraceptive use; women's education; community-level determinants of fertility; fertility regulation; rural areas;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics
    • Z0 - Other Special Topics - - General

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