The status of women and fertility in Zimbabwe
Abstract
This paper examines the nature of the relationship between the status of women and fertility, and the implications of this relationship for future fertility reduction in Zimbabwe. Fertility in Zimbabwe is comparatively high for sub-Saharan Africa. Globally, the status of women is considered to be an important factor in reducing high population growth rates, since it has a negative effect on fertility. Specific indicators of women’s status, for example education and work status, have been found to be negatively related to women’s fertility. In the study these indicators will be hypothesized to be negatively related to fertility, and then tested using data from the Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey (CSO, 1989).