THE QUEST FOR DESIRED PROPORTION OF CHILDREN AND ITS IMPACT ON FAMILY PLANNING
Keywords:
Desire,, Son Preference, Family Size, Fertility, Couple, Population, Family planningAbstract
The desire for a male child has a great influence over fertility behaviors, the family planning decisions continue to be shaped by the preference of a son. However, less attention has been paid to the relationship between the quest for the desired proportion of children and the undesired children produced in this pursuit. Within the cultural framework of Balochistan, the quest for the desired proportion of children is deeply entangled in historical, traditional, and societal expectations. This research paper explores the multifaceted dimensions of the quest for the desired proportion of children and its profound impacts on family planning within the distinct socio-cultural context of Balochistan.
less interest of respondents to continue childbearing when the desired number of girls are not produced. However, it tends to express a strong desire or intention to continue childbearing in the hope of producing a male child, if there is low proportion of male children or when the desired number of male children are not produced. Data further reveals that the tendency to stop childbearing if all the desired number of children are girls or all are boys is not dependent on educational level, income, family type, or gender.
A quantitative research method was employed for this study. A questionnaire consisting of closed-ended questions was designed to obtain the data from respondents. Data from 242, male and female respondents from Balochistan was collected through an online platform. Similarly, descriptive and analytical approaches were adopted to assess the data. Pearson's Chi-squared and Welch Two Sample t-test were conducted for statistical analysis and explanation of the study. The study suggests that although population policies that reduce family size are essential, but also imperative are policies that could empower women and reduce the desire and race for male children, by focusing on gender- neutral family planning, which directly affects the population growth.
The data indicates that the respondents view both sons and daughters as key parts of a family, but a majority of them desire more male children in proportion. Moreover, the data indicates
References
Arnold, F. (1997). ‘Gender Preferences for Children’. DHS Comparative Studies, 23. Calverton, MA: Macro International Inc.
Attané, I. (2016). ‘The end of one child per family in China?’ Population Societies, (7): 1–4. https://doi.org/10.3917/popsoc.535.0001
Azmat, S.K., M. Bilgrami, B.T. Shaikh, G. Mustafa and W. Hameed (2012). ‘Perceptions, interpretations and implications of abortions: A qualitative inquiry among the legal community of Pakistan’. European Journal of Contraception Reproductive Health Care, 17(2): 155–63. https://doi.org/10.3109/13625187.2011.637585
Barker, G., Contreras, M., Heilman, B., Singh, A., Verma, R. & Nascimento, M. (2011).
Evolving Men Initial Results from the International Men and Gender Equality Survey
(IMAGES), p.102.
Bongaarts, J. (2013). ‘The implementation of preferences for male offspring’. Population and Development Review, 39(2): 185– 208. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1728-4457.2013.00588.x
Bongaarts, J., and C.Z. Guilmoto (2015). ‘How many more missing women? Excess female mortality and prenatal sex selection, 1970–2050’. Population and Development Review, 41(2): 241–69.
Cohen, M. F. (2006). The Condition of Women in Developing and Developed Countries,
pp.261–273.
Duflo, E. (2011). Women’s Empowerment and Economic Development, w17702, Cambridge,
MA: National Bureau of Economic Research, p.w17702, Available Online:
http://www.nber.org/papers/w17702.pdf [Accessed 29 March 2020].
Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) (2021). Pakistan at a Glance. https://www.fao.org/pakistan/our-office/pakistan- at-a- glance/en/#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20Labour% 20Force,percent%20to%20the%20country's%20GDP
Guilmoto, C.Z. (2009). The sex ratio transition in Asia. Population and Development Review, 35(3): 519–49. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1728-4457.2009.00295.x
Gupta (2014) Where have all the brides gone? Son preference and marriage in India over the twentieth century. The Economic History Review, 67(1): 1–24.
Jayachandran, S. (2017). Fertility decline and missing women. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 9(1): 118–39. https://doi.org/10.1257/app.20150576 23
Jayaraman, A., V. Mishra, and F. Arnold (2009). ‘The relationship of family size and composition to fertility desires, contraceptive, adoption, and method choice in South Asia’. International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 35(1): 29–38. https://doi.org/10.1363/3502909
Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (2018). Action Plan (2019–24). Islamabad: Government of Pakistan. Retrieved from http://phkh.nhsrc.pk/sites/default/files/2020- 12/Pakistan20Action20Plan20for20Implementation20of2 0CCI20Recommendations202019-24.pdf
National Institute of Population Studies (NIPS) and ICF International (2013). Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2012–13. Islamabad and Rockville, MA: NIPS and ICF.
PAKISTAN: Bi-Annual Research Journal Vol. No 64 (1), January-June 2024
National Institute of Population Studies (NIPS) and ICF International (2019). Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2017–18. Islamabad and Rockville, MA: NIPS and ICF.
Saeed, S. (2015). ‘Toward an Explanation of Son Preference in Pakistan’. Social Development Issues, 37: 17–36.
Singh, S., A. Sundaram, A. Hossain, M.C. Puri, Z. Sathar, C. Shekhar, A.M. Moore (2020). ‘Abortion service provision in South Asia: A comparative study of four countries’. Contraception, 102(3): 210–19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.contraception.2020.05.015
Tsui, A.O., J. Casterline, S. Singh, A. Bankole, A.M. Moore, A.K. Omideyi, K.M.J.G. Shellenberg (2011). ‘Managing unplanned pregnancies in five countries: perspectives on contraception and abortion decisions’. Global Public Health, 6(suppl. 1): S1–S24. https://doi.org/10.1080/17441692.2011.597413
UNICEF (2021). ‘UNICEF global databases, based on DHS, MICS and other national surveys, 2007-2017. Child marriage’. Retrieved from: https://data.unicef.org/topic/child-protection/child- marriage/
United Nations Population Division (2019). World Population Prospects: 2019 Revision. New York: UNPD.
Yacoub, A.A.A. (2001). The fiqh of medicine: Responses in Islamic jurisprudence to developments in medical science. London: Ta- Ha Publishers.
Zaidi, B., and S.P. Morgan (2016). ‘In the pursuit of sons: Additional births or sex‐selective abortion in Pakistan?’ Population and Development Review, 42(4): 693–710. https://doi.org/10.1111/padr.12002
