Women empowerment and its relation to safe motherhood service utilizaton: A study in selected slum area of Kathmandu metropolitan city

Abstract

The study was conducted among the married women of reproductive age 15-49 year living in three slum areas of Kathmandu Metropolitan city- Balkhu, Sinamangal and Samakhushi.The general objective of this study was to identify safe motherhood service utilization in relation to women empowerment. The Sample size was 120. Purposive sampling method was applied to select the samples. The semi-structure interview schedule was used as data collection tools. Maximum i.e. 26.7% belong to age group 20-24 followed by 25% belong to age group 25-29. Around 45.8% of them were illiterate. Majority of the respondent were Tamang (26.7%) followed by Magar (16.7%) and Newar (12.5%) and so on. Hindu respondent were 58.3% followed by Buddhist (25%) and Christian (15%). Majority of respondents were engaged in housework i.e. 76.7% followed by 15.8% in daily wages.16.7% have migrated to slum area within this year and 7.5% have lived there above 20 years. Mean age at marriage of respondents was 18.5 years and of their husband was 25 years. The mean age at first pregnancy was 19.49 years. Only 42.5% of the respondents had heard about the safe motherhood. 79.2% had ANC visit among which around 60%completed at least four ANC visits during the pregnancy. Only 81.1% received T.T vaccine among which 69.8% received complete 2 doses. 65.1% received iron tablets. 51.9% had visited for PNC checkup at least one time. 90% of respondent heard about at least one kind of family planning methods. Only 26.7% of the respondents were involved in income generation. The husband’s income is controlled by 21.7% wife, 39.2% by husband himself whereas 28.3% couples do it jointly. 38.4% of women take decision for her own health care while 20.5% does it jointly with her husband. Similarly for the number of children to be born, only 15.7% women take decision themselves but 30.5% husband make decision for this alone. As well only 30.2% women take decision for ANC checkup alone and 40.7% do it jointly with husband. Women empowerment and safe motherhood service utilization is a close matter. It is more likely that women don’t go for ANC visit when they are unemployed (36.4%) than if they are employed (21.9%). 91.2% women were found to be gone for ANC visit if the control of husband's income is done by both husband and wife jointly. 73.5% of PNC visit is done if the husband’s income is controlled by both husband and wife. When the husband income is controlled by husband himself,63.8% had not used the family planning device ever in their married life as the decision was made by the husband himself. When women are sexually empowered and can refuse for sexual intercourse to husband when they are not well or not in mood, then there is more chance that they use the safe motherhood service. 76.9% ANC visit, 52.3% PNC visit and 70.7% of family planning users can refuse to unwanted sex compared to 57.1% ANC visit, 42.9% PNC visit and 37.2% family planning users who cannot refuse for sex to her husband. When women are employed there is less chance (18.8%) than if they are not employed (60.3%) that they don’t hear about the safe motherhood. Among the women who are involved in any group, 75.6% have heard about the safe motherhood. Similarly, if women are sexually empowered and can refuse to have unwanted sex with husband, it is more likely that they hear about the safe motherhood (76.9%). Similarly literate women (69.2%) have heard more about safe motherhood than illiterate (40%). When the husband's income is controlled by both husband and wife, it is more likely that women hear about the safe motherhood (88.2%).