Attitudes of women towards family planning in a working-class area of Rabat : a case study

Dissertant

Zaimi, Rim

Thesis advisor

Hottell, Nancy

Comitee Members

Shoup, John
al-Almi, Najia

University

Al Akhawayn University

Faculty

School of Humanities and Social Sciences

University Country

Morocco

Degree

Master

Degree Date

1997

English Abstract

In 1971, the Moroccan Family Planning Association (MFPA) was founded to help facing the growing demography that prevailed in Morocco in the seventies.

The role of this non-profit association is to encourage the government to adopt an official policy on population.

The MFPA also aims at spreading useful and practical information with regards to family planning and promoting the use of contraceptives through its sensitizing campaigns throughout Morocco.

(family, friends or neighbors), but their husbands are not involved in this decisionmaking and categorically refuse to use condoms.

This project also shows women’s aversion to be seen by a male doctor and some problems related to the use of contraceptives.

The attitudes of these women towards family size are also revealed in this study.

For most of the interviewees, the ideal family is composed of no more than three children.

The large family is rejected and does not seem to be a model to follow for this sample.

Moreover, children are not associated with a material asset as it has been proved in other studies; these women expect ah emotional support from their children.

The value given to offspring is actually shown when the interviewees are asked to state their opinion on sterility.

Barrenness carries negative connotations for most of them.

Finally, the question of the position of Islam towards family planning is problematic for many women.

Nearly half of them believe that contraception is haram; nevertheless, they adopt it since they are clients of the Yacoub A1 Mansour Family Planning Center.

The institution of family planning programs all over the kingdom started to have an impact on the fecundity rate.

Thus, the fertility rate moved to 5.9 in 1979 to 3.6 today (Lagarde 17).

This demographic transition is due mainly to the family planning policy, but also to sociological and economic factors, which are respectively the increase in the age at first marriage (from 17 in 1960 to 26 today), and the increase in the cost of living.

The problem is that the population keeps growing in some poor urban areas despite the various governmental and non-governmental actions.

The educational level affects the reproductive behavior of women, 78.3 of whom are illiterate.

Other social and cultural factors, such as household income, unsatisfactory health care, and the value given to children may contribute to increase the fertility rate and have an impact on women’s attitude towards family planning.

This study reveals a number of attitudes concerning contraception and family size.

The female clients of the Yacoub A1 Mansour family Planning Center ( located in a working-class district of Rabat) insist that the decision to adopt a contraceptive method belongs to them only.

They may be influenced by their female surrounding

Main Subjects

Economy and Commerce
Religion
Sociology and Anthropology and Social Work
Islamic Studies

Topics

• Islam
• Family planning
• Population
• Contraception
• Woman workers
• Attitudes
• Case studies
• Morocco
• Rabat
• Religious aspects

No. of Pages

71

Table of Contents

• APA
• MLA
• AMA

Language

English

Data Type

Arab Theses

Record ID

BIM-594296