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Women’s empowerment, modern energy, and demand for maternal health services in Benin

Author

Listed:
  • Alastaire Sèna Alinsato

    (University of Abomey-Calavi)

  • Calixe Bidossessi Alakonon

    (University of Abomey-Calavi)

  • Nassibou Bassongui

    (University of Abomey-Calavi)

Abstract

One of the major concerns for developing countries is improving the use of health services by the general population, and in particular, maternal and child health services. This concern reflects the Sustainable Development Goals 3, which aim to ensure the health and well-being of all by improving reproductive health, and especially maternal and child health. This study analyses the extent to which modern energies improve women’s empowerment and the demand for maternal health services in a low income country. The empirical estimations were based on the 2017 Benin Demographic Health Survey data. We adopted the trivariate recursive probit modelling to find out the extent to which modern energies improve women’s empowerment and the demand for maternal health services. The results revealed that the demand for maternal health services was significantly and positively associated with women’s empowerment. Notably, being an empowered woman (social independence and decision-making) increases the chance of completing antenatal care visits. We further highlighted the importance of women’s wealth in accessing maternal health services. To address maternal mortality in sub-Saharan African countries, policymakers should improve women’s social independence, decision making power and attitude to violence by promoting access to modern energies such as electricity, Liquefied petroleum gas, and bio gas.

Suggested Citation

  • Alastaire Sèna Alinsato & Calixe Bidossessi Alakonon & Nassibou Bassongui, 2024. "Women’s empowerment, modern energy, and demand for maternal health services in Benin," International Journal of Health Economics and Management, Springer, vol. 24(2), pages 279-299, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:kap:ijhcfe:v:24:y:2024:i:2:d:10.1007_s10754-024-09368-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s10754-024-09368-1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Women’s empowerment; Modern energy; Demand for health services;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q4 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior

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