Men's Influence on the Onset and Progress of Fertility Transition in Africa

Laurie DeRose, University of Maryland
Alex Ezeh, African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC)

Our previous work showed that during the first decade of fertility transition in Ghana (1988-1998), husbands' influence over wives' fertility intentions increased significantly (but not the reverse). We argue therefore that the onset of fertility transition in Ghana is probably explained better by changes in men's fertility desires than in women's reproductive autonomy. In this paper, we extend our past work in two ways. First, we explore differentials in increasing male control within Ghana according to lineage system and place of residence. Even if women's reproductive autonomy does not trigger fertility decline, it may emerge later and may appear first in urban areas. The extent of male dominance may also vary between matrilineal and patrilineal ethnic groups. Second, we repeat our analysis on data covering the second decade of fertility transition in Kenya (1989-1998) to explore shifts in relative spousal power later in the transition process.