Contraceptive Behaviour, Capacity-Building and Environmentalism among Women in Self-Help Groups: Some Policy Concerns

Niyati Joshi, Government of India
C.P. Prakasam, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)

This study provides a first step toward understanding capacity building, environmentalism and fertility of a generic group and examines the impact of capacity building and environmental conditions on use of contraceptives among women in a self-help group. The data were collected from 340 women in the Faizabad district of Uttar Pradesh February-June, 2006. Independent variables include availability of agricultural land, toilet and drinking water facility within living premises, capacity building about environmental cleanliness, and control variables are age, women’s life experiences, number of currently-living children, previous contraceptives use, standard of living index, and source of contraceptives. Six models of linkages of contraceptive use, capacity building and environmentalism were developed. Capacity building about linkage of reproductive and child health strategy and environment coupled with the availability of a toilet facility within living premises has a significantly effect on contraceptive use among the women in the self-help group. Illiterate women and women from scheduled castes are highly likely to adopt environmentalism to change their fertility behaviour.