Nikah Ceremonies in the UK: a Tool for Empowerment?

Cohabitation and Religious Marriage ◽

10.1332/policypress/9781529210835.003.0008 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 103-116

Author(s):

Zainab Naqvi

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Family Law ◽

Women’S Autonomy ◽

Legal Recognition ◽

Women's Autonomy ◽

Opt Out ◽

The Uk

This chapter engages with the issue of polygyny and religious-only marriages. It focusses on women who voluntarily opt for non-legally recognised marriages and proposes solutions which respect women’s autonomy in relationship decision making, while offering legal protections to those who are vulnerable. It proposes legal recognition of religious ceremonies of marriage with a mutual ‘opt-out’ provision allowing couples to choose to place themselves outside of family law provisions.

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LEGAL RIGHTS AND WOMEN'S AUTONOMY: CAN FAMILY LAW REFORM IN MUSLIM COUNTRIES AVOID THE CONTRADICTIONS OF VICTORIAN DOMESTICITY?

Hawwa ◽

10.1163/156920807781787626 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 33-54

Author(s):

Danaya Wright

Keyword(s):

Civil Society ◽

Women's Rights ◽

Family Law ◽

Law Reform ◽

Women’S Rights ◽

Legal Change ◽

Women’S Autonomy ◽

Women's Autonomy ◽

Muslim Countries ◽

The Law

AbstractIn early- and mid-nineteenth century England, numerous law reformers targeted the law of coverture. Under this law married women lost custody of children, lost any property they brought, could not make a will or enter into a contract once they married, and they could not seek a divorce if their marriage broke down under the doctrine that husband and wife were a single unit before the law. The discourse of the reform debates, however, presented women as either violent and intemperate, and thus requiring the chains of coverture to keep them from bringing down the pillars of civil society. Or, they were seen as victims in sore need of the law's protection from violent and intemperate men. At no time were they viewed as legal agents, capable of exercising rights responsibly or as rational actors, who could be entrusted with the care and control of raising children single-handedly. But as the law changed to accommodate demands for women's rights, it is clear that women did not destroy civil society, nor have they attained equal power and autonomy with men. Thus, in looking at the reforms, and the forces that inhibited the reforms in Victorian England, we can begin to think more critically about how law reforms occur, how men and women are situated, and how barriers to equality frustrate legal change. With that history, I believe we are better situated to understand the demands for change in family law and women's rights in Muslim countries. Much of the rhetoric is ironically familiar. And I argue that knowledge of the pitfalls that threatened legal change in the Anglo-American west can help us avoid them in law reform arenas across the Muslim world. Of course, it is not simply that by learning our history we can hope not to repeat it. Rather, by understanding the complex interplay of reformist arguments and conservative pressures, we are better able to see beneath the rhetoric to the power structures inhibiting women's autonomy that lurk beneath the surface.

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Women's autonomy in household decision-making: a demographic study in Nepal

Reproductive Health ◽

10.1186/1742-4755-7-15 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 111

Author(s):

Dev R Acharya ◽

Jacqueline S Bell ◽

Padam Simkhada ◽

Edwin R van Teijlingen ◽

Pramod R Regmi

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Women’S Autonomy ◽

Women's Autonomy ◽

Household Decision ◽

Household Decision Making ◽

Demographic Study

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FERTILITAS DAN RELASI GENDER DI DESA NEGLASARI, KABUPATEN BOGOR

Sodality Jurnal Sosiologi Pedesaan ◽

10.22500/sodality.v6i3.8000 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 6 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Dian Ekowati ◽

Ekawati Sri ◽

Said Rusli

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Family Size ◽

Community Level ◽

Marriage Age ◽

Women’S Autonomy ◽

Women's Autonomy ◽

Freedom Of Movement ◽

Number Of Children ◽

Economic Decision Making ◽

Generic Theory

Fertility is often seen on the figures and biological sides. Seeing fertility goes beyond both of these will be <br />useful to explore the wishes of each actor , how they relate to each other and to the community , and how the values and aspects of sociological and psychological that is attached in such activities. The study explored how the relationship between gender relations and fertility work ; especially because until now there is no generic theory agreed to this issue . This study used qualitative methods to explore and gain an understanding of how women give birth as related parties with the other actors . The framework of this study were made by utilizing research - research that has been done before , namely the concept of female autonomy ( Mason and Smith , 2003) and the concept of the determinant ( Bongaarts , 1978) . The concept is referred to aspects of women's autonomy is the power of women to make household economic decisions , the power of women to make decisions about family size , women freedom of movement , individual attitudes toward gender attitude of the community , and the movement of women in decision-making ( Mason and Smith , 2003 . Determinants required for connecting between socio - economic variables - culture with fertility because after all , there are facts that can not be denied that fertility is the result of biological activity . The results showed that although the values at the community level suggested to have the number of children that a lot , to a certain extent , the women in the study area can control the number of children they have. This control works through Desired fertility and the determinants , namely : the use of contraception and delay the age of marriage is influenced by women's autonomy and power as proposed by Mason and Smith ( 2003) . Women's autonomy and power in question is the power of women in economic decision-making , decision-making power of women in family size , their physical freedom of movement , the size of the gender attitudes at the community level , and their space in household decisionmaking . The conclusion of this study indicate that in the study area , the use of contraception is more influential in affecting fertility than the actual delay marriage age. <br /> Keywords : Gender Relationships, Fertility, Aspects of Women's Autonomy and Power , Desired Fertility, Actual Fertility, Reuters Determinants <br />

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Husband’s international migration

Journal of Health Research ◽

10.1108/jhr-03-2019-0040 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 34 (1) ◽

pp. 56-67

Author(s):

Win Win Shwe ◽

Aree Jampaklay ◽

Aphichat Chamratrithirong ◽

Suchada Thaweesit

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

International Migration ◽

Economic Status ◽

Household Wealth ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Women’S Autonomy ◽

Content Type ◽

Women's Autonomy ◽

Left Behind ◽

Selection Factors

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand the effects of the husband’s migration on wives’ decision-making autonomy. Design/methodology/approach The study setting is Magway Region of central Myanmar where poverty has driven adult males to migrate overseas. The study hypothesizes that the absence of husbands due to international migration leads to changes in the roles and decision-making power of left-behind wives. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 22 villages of Pakkoku district, Magway Region, using the multi-stage random sampling method. The study sample included 205 migrant’s wives and 196 non-migrant’s wives. Findings The international migration of husbands has a strong and positive impact on left-behind wives’ autonomy independent of individual characteristics and household social and economic status. In addition, the findings show that the number of children and household wealth are positively associated with women’s autonomy, whereas household size shows a negative association. Research limitations/implications It is possible that there will be unmeasured selection factors such as unsuccessful migration as it might influence both husbands’ migration status and women’s autonomy. Cross-sectional data also invite a question about the causal relationship. For example, it might be possible that women with high autonomy may be more likely to encourage their husband to work abroad. So, the relationship might be the other way around. A further longitudinal study is also needed to describe detail explanation about the causal influence of left-behind women’s autonomy. Originality/value Successful international migration has a impact not only on women’s autonomy but also on household economic status in central rural Myanmar.

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Dynamics of Women’s Autonomy in Household Decision-Making in Ghana

Journal of Comparative Family Studies ◽

10.3138/jcfs.50.4.002 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 50 (4) ◽

pp. 293-312

Author(s):

Kamil Fuseini ◽

Ishmael Kalule-Sabiti ◽

Charles Lwanga

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Women’S Autonomy ◽

Women's Autonomy ◽

Household Decision ◽

Household Decision Making

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Women’s Autonomy on Healthcare Decision Making in Sub-Saharan African Countries: A Synthesis

The Anthropologist ◽

10.31901/24566802.2021/43.1-3.2056 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 43 (1-3) ◽

Author(s):

Nigatu Regassa Geda

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Well Being ◽

Healthcare Decision ◽

Economic Activities ◽

African Countries ◽

Women’S Autonomy ◽

Women's Autonomy ◽

Healthcare Decision Making ◽

Nationally Representative ◽

Sub Saharan

ABSTRACT Over the last few decades, despite progress made in improving female’s decision-making dependence, the challenges posed by female’s low status in Sub-Saharan African countries (SSA) are still influential research agenda. The aim of this scooping review is to assess the effects of women’s autonomy on healthcare decision-making. The researchers did the study based on 15 articles selected from PubMed and Google Scholar. The selection deliberated only those published in the last 15 years, primarily based on nationally representative findings from Sub-Saharan African countries. The selected studies focused on decision-making autonomy on healthcare parameters. All studies reported significant positive impacts of female’s decision-making autonomy on children’s health, and women’s well-being, such as improved children’s nutrition, maternal and children’s well-being, reduced mortality rate, and health service utilization. However, the impacts were more substantial or visible at the community level than at individual or household levels. The study recommended strengthening womens’ involvement in education, promoting peer education, improving husband-wife communication, promoting rural women’s participation in economic activities, and owning assets. More importantly, any intervention should focus more on community norms than only individual decision-making per se.

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Women's autonomy and antenatal care utilization in Nepal: A study from Nepal demographic and health survey 2016

Women s Health ◽

10.15406/mojwh.2019.08.00248 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

pp. 261-267

Author(s):

Naba Raj Thapa

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Maternal Health ◽

Health Survey ◽

Wealth Quintile ◽

Maternal Health Services ◽

Demographic And Health Survey ◽

Wife Beating ◽

Care Utilization ◽

Women’S Autonomy ◽

Women's Autonomy

Nepal has made remarkable progress in reduction of maternal mortality but utilization of maternal health services is below the acceptance level. This study seeks to examine the effect of women's autonomy on the utilization ANC services in Nepal. Data is taken from the 2016 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey. A total of 3,998 women age 15-49 who had given birth in the 5 year preceding the survey. Logistic regression analysis is performed to examine the effects of women's autonomy on the use of ANC. The results of Model I revealed that women's decision making autonomy and attitudes towards wife beating are significantly associated with at least four ANC visits. When women's autonomy variables and other socio-demographic variables are taken into consideration, women decision making autonomy and attitudes towards wife beating are not significant association with at least four ANC visits. To improve maternal health care, the interventions are needed to target women of low autonomy, less educated and from low wealth quintile.

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An Orwellian Scenario: court ordered caesarean section and women’s autonomy

Nursing Ethics ◽

10.1177/096973309900600605 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 6 (6) ◽

pp. 494-505 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Heather Cahill

Keyword(s):

Caesarean Section ◽

Maternity Care ◽

Medical Profession ◽

Fetal Life ◽

Women’S Autonomy ◽

Women's Autonomy ◽

Attitudes And Practices ◽

Current Medical Practice ◽

The Uk ◽

Maternal Autonomy

Between 1992 and 1996, a small number of women in the UK were forced by the courts to undergo caesarean section against their expressed refusal. Analysis of the reported cases reveals the blanket assumption of maternal incompetence and the widespread use of thinly veiled coercion. Such attitudes and practices are themselves frequently compounded by inadequate communication. Medical discretion in such problematic cases seems to err on the side of safety and so appears to favour the life of the fetus over maternal autonomy. Despite current policy’s placement of the pregnant woman at the centre of maternity care, obstetricians’ concerns appear to lie more with the unborn fetus. In other words, there seems to be a point at which the value of fetal life begins to outweigh, not so much the life of the woman, but her right to self-determination, her plans and her choices. While it is important to acknowledge that these court ordered caesareans represent an unusual extreme within contemporary maternity care in this country, that they have happened brings into sharp relief some of the stereotypical assumptions about women. These are assumptions that underlie much of current medical practice and may compromise or disempower women in other ways during their experience of pregnancy and labour. Using the first and last of the six reported cases as contextual illustrations, this article focuses on the complex interplay of processes that have brought the medical profession to a position in which their own self-conviction and determination to do what they believe is best for their patients has resulted in gross denial of women’s autonomy and the use of the law to override pregnant women’s refusal of consent.

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Women’s Autonomy Decision Making Power on Postpartum Modern Contraceptive Use and Associated Factors in North West Ethiopia

Advances in Public Health ◽

10.1155/2019/1861570 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2019 ◽

pp. 1-7

Author(s):

Samrawit Yonas Tadesse ◽

Amanu Aragaw Emiru ◽

Tadese Ejigu Tafere ◽

Melash Belachew Asresie

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Family Planning ◽

Contraceptive Use ◽

Modern Contraceptive ◽

Immunization Service ◽

Women’S Autonomy ◽

Women's Autonomy ◽

Autonomous Decision ◽

Postpartum Family Planning ◽

Modern Contraceptive Use

Background. Most postpartum women (95%) do not want pregnancy within 24 months after birth, however, 70% of them do not use modern contraceptives. In Ethiopia postpartum modern contraceptive use is low. Evidences show that women’s autonomy within the household is the most important thing in modern contraceptive use. Yet, there is dearth of information in Ethiopian context. Therefore, this study was aimed to assess women’s autonomy on modern contraceptive use and its associated factors among women who attended their children immunization service. Methods. Facility-based cross-sectional study was carried out from May 5 to Jone15, 2017 in sekota town and its surroundings among 415 women who attended immunization service for their children. Participants were selected by using a systematic sampling technique. The data were collected through face-to-face interviews using pre-tested structured questionnaires. The data were entered into epi.info version7 and analyzed using SPSS version 23. Both descriptive and logistic regression analyses were performed. A P-value less than or equal to 0.05 at 95% confidence interval was set to test statistical significance. Result. The proportion of women’s decision making power on postpartum modern contraceptive use was 77.3%. Being counseled on postpartum family planning (2.29, 95% CI: 1.27, 5.71), discussed on postpartum family planning with their husbands (AOR = 14.62, 95% CI: 6.52, 32.75), and had the index child within one year after previous birth (AOR = 7.98, 95% CI: 2.52, 30.65) were found positively associated with women’s autonomous decision making power on postpartum modern contraceptive use. In addition, those women who knew that pregnancy could happen during the postpartum period (AOR = 6.53, 95% CI: 3.2, 14.12) were more autonomous in decision to use postpartum contraception. Conclusion. The proportion of women’s autonomous decision making power on postpartum modern contraceptive use was low. Those women who were counseled on postpartum family planning, discussed with partners, and those who knew that pregnancy could happen during the postpartum period had higher odds of autonomous decision making power. Therefore, strengthening counseling, educating on postpartum family planning, and encouraging women to discuss postpartum family planning with their husbands may improve women’s power.

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