Abstract:
Governments in sub-Saharan African countries aim to increase married women\'s household decision-making autonomy as it remains a critical determinant of desirable health behaviours such as healthcare utilisation, antenatal care visits, and safer sex negotiation. However, very few studies explore how household structure (i.e., monogamous or polygamous) is associated with married women\'s household decision-making autonomy. Our paper seeks to address this gap. Using the 2019-20 Mauritania Demographic and Health Survey, a nationally representative dataset, and applying logistic regression analysis, we explore how married women\'s household structure is associated with their household decision-making autonomy. We find that 9% of married women are in polygamous marriages, while 63% and 65% are involved in decision-making about their health and large household purchases, respectively. Additionally, 76% and 56% are involved in decision-making about visiting family or relatives and household expenditures. After accounting for socio-economic and demographic factors, we find that compared to women from monogamous households, those from polygamous households are less likely to participate in decision-making about their health (OR=0.65, p < 0.001), making large household purchases (OR=0.65, p < 0.001), visiting family or relatives (OR=0.72, p < 0.001), and household expenditure (OR=0.58, p < 0.001). Based on our findings, we recommend the urgent need to review and re-evaluate policies and approaches seeking to promote gender equality and women\'s autonomy in Mauritania. Specifically, it may be critical for intervention programmes to work around reducing power imbalances in polygamous household structures that continue to impact married women\'s household decision-making autonomy adversely. Such interventions should centre married women\'s socio-economic status as a central component of their empowerment strategies in Mauritania.
摘要:
撒哈拉以南非洲国家的政府旨在提高已婚妇女的家庭决策自主权,因为这仍然是医疗保健利用等理想健康行为的关键决定因素。产前护理访问,和更安全的性谈判。然而,很少有研究探讨家庭结构如何(即,一夫一妻制或一夫多妻制)与已婚妇女的家庭决策自主权有关。我们的论文旨在解决这一差距。使用2019-20年毛里塔尼亚人口和健康调查,具有全国代表性的数据集,并应用逻辑回归分析,我们探讨已婚妇女的家庭结构如何与她们的家庭决策自主权相关联。我们发现9%的已婚妇女处于一夫多妻制婚姻中,虽然63%和65%的人参与了他们健康和大型家庭购买的决策,分别。此外,76%和56%的人参与了探亲和家庭支出的决策。在考虑了社会经济和人口因素后,我们发现与一夫一妻制家庭的女性相比,来自一夫多妻制家庭的人不太可能参与其健康决策(OR=0.65,p<0.001),进行大量家庭购买(OR=0.65,p<0.001),探亲(OR=0.72,p<0.001),和家庭支出(OR=0.58,p<0.001)。根据我们的发现,我们建议迫切需要审查和重新评估旨在促进毛里塔尼亚性别平等和妇女自主的政策和方法。具体来说,干预计划的重点可能是减少一夫多妻制家庭结构中的权力失衡,这种失衡继续对已婚妇女的家庭决策自主权产生不利影响。此类干预措施应将已婚妇女的社会经济地位作为毛里塔尼亚赋权战略的核心组成部分。