Status of Women and Fertility (A Case Study of Tharu Community in Amuwa Vdc, Rupandehi District)

Abstract

This study entitled "Status of Women and Fertility" a case study of 115 ever married Tharu women of reproductive age (15-49 years) of Amuwa VDC, Ward no 1, 2 and 8, Rupandehi District. The total population of study area is 860 out of total male 416 and female 444 with sex ratio 93.7. Population below 14 years age is 38.7 percent and above 60 years is 4.3 percent. Around 75 percent population with age higher than 5 years are literate. More than 53 percent population with age higher than 10 years are engaged on agriculture and 65 percent are married. Out of 115 women respondents 37.4 percent are married in age between 10- 14, 46.1 percent are married in age 15-19 only 4.3 percent are married in right age 20-24. The total ever married women age 15-49 years are 115 in the study area, mean number of Children Ever Born (CEB) is 2.3 with lowest mean number of CEB (1.0) for women age 15-19 years and highest mean number of CEB (4.0) for women age group 40-44. Respondents' occupation, decision making power, land ownership, health status, age and marriage, use of contraception and child loss experience are chosen variable to show the status of women and determinants of fertility, percent and mean of the variables. The major findings of the study are education attainment of women as well as husbands is the powerful tool to reduce fertility, the women and their husband engage in agriculture / business / daily wage labour have highest CEB than those engage in professional work, women with land holding household have lower CEB than those who are landless, increasing number of child loss is found strongly association with increasing number of CEB and the mean age of marriage is 14.37 years.