Does contraception benefit women? structure, agency, and well-being in rural Mexico

The authors of this paper examine Amartya Sen's contributions to the concept of human well-being from a gender perspective and argue that this concept is particularly useful for explaining women's decisions on contraceptive use. The study draws on data collected in six rural communities of Chiapas, Mexico. It emphasizes the ways in which public discourse articulates the apparent benefits of having small families; the context of the household and community in which rural women make reproductive decisions; and the impact of family planning programs on women's sense of subjective well-being. In particular, it questions the assumption that reduced fertility through contraception necessarily enhances women's well-being and points to the importance that women attach to being a party to reproductive decisions. The authors also explore the links between women's assessment of these decisions and of paid work, and their actual education levels and real possibilities of employment.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Nazar Beutelspacher, Austreberta Doctora 1960- autora 2010, Zapata Martelo, Emma Doctora autora 8259, Vázquez García, Verónica autora 14048
Format:	Texto biblioteca
Language:	eng
Subjects:	Anticonceptivos, Programas de planificación familiar, Mujeres rurales, Salud sexual y reproductiva, Educación de la mujer, Artfrosur,
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