Many married women in sub-Saharan Africa don’t have the freedom to make decisions about their sexual and reproductive health. Global data show that only 37% of women in the region aged 15-49 can make their own informed decisions about sexual relations, contraceptive use and reproductive healthcare in the region. In Europe, 87% of women have this freedom.
These decisions shape whether women survive pregnancy, avoid unsafe abortions, stay in school, participate in paid work and plan the size of their families. Yet in many homes, decisions about engaging in sex, using contraception or seeking healthcare are strictly determined by husbands, in-laws or powerful social norms rather than by women themselves.
Researchers and policymakers have examined factors that could improve how women make such decisions independently or with their spouses. Findings from previous studies have produced mixed and sometimes contradictory results. Some showed that variables such as education, income or technology had a positive influence on women’s sexual autonomy. Others found no significant effect.
