In a previous study [Ali, Siyal and Sultan (1995)], we observed a big gap between behaviour and desires. Only 35 percent women had the number of children that they had desired. Whereas, a very large number of women had more children than their stated ideal number of children. The same data set...

The 1994 Cairo International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in their Programme of Action calls for promoting gender equality and equity and the empowerment of women. Furthermore, the conference also recognises the basic rights of all couples and individuals to decide freely and...

The findings of an earlier study revealed that generally, even those women who were considered to be empowered, were actually constrained to exercise fertility control behaviour. It was hypothesised that socio-cultural influences are much too strong to yield any bearing on the decision-making...