Rural Women’s Status and Fertility Behaviour in Developing Countries: A Picturesque of West Bengal, India

Abstract

Rural women’s status and fertility constitutes an important basis of national as well as international concerns regarding numerous facets of human life and environment. The knowledge about fertility helps us to grasp an understanding of the demographic behavior, social structure and human condition. Human fertility is determined by age at marriage, customs, habits, education and socio-economic status which affect socio-economic development and family size. The specific objectives have been selected for the studies, first is to explore the fertility behavior and pattern among women, second is to identify the all over economic condition and examine the socio cultural and economic factors related to their fertility behavior and finally to work out a review of the Health Care and Family Planning Services with particular emphasis on Maternal and Child Health Services. This study makes use of both qualitative and quantitative data to achieve the research objectives which collected from both primary and secondary sources. Khandaghosh Block of Burdwan district of West Bengal state in India have been selected as a sample study area to represent the present women’s status and fertility behaviour. The five percent sampled villages have been selected out of the total villages (111) of the study area which included six sample villages. During field work three percent households have been selected from total households of the sample villages. Main emphasized has been given on fertility behavior among women and economy of the surveyed population. It has been find out that women’s education has more bearing on fertility than men’s education, it is also reported that women’s are maximum engaged as a homemakers and men’s are engaged in agricultural activity. It has been counted that the level of monthly income of family is very low; on the other hand they have high fertility because of early marriage (16-20 years). From all six sample villages Lodna is one of the backward village where more than 50 percent and 17 percent family have three and four children respectively due to lack of knowledge and education.