Publications Summary


Document Type
Working Papers
Publication Topic(s)
Gender, Household and Respondent Characteristics, Maternal Health
Country(s)
Benin
Language
English
Recommended Citation
Alinsato, Alastaire, Calixe Alakonon, and Nassibou Bassongui. 2022. Women’s Empowerment, Modern Energy, and Demand for Maternal Health Services in Benin. DHS Working Paper No. 185. Rockville, Maryland, USA: ICF
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Publication Date
September 2022
Publication ID
WP185

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Abstract:

Globally, 152 mothers per 100,000 live births die each year from lack of access to universal health care services. Most of these deaths occur in sub-Saharan African countries, especially in the Middle, Eastern and Western African countries, where the prevalence is greater than 500 deaths per 100,000 live births. Despite significant progress during the last decade, this issue remains a considerable challenge for sub- Saharan African countries. This study analyzed how women’s empowerment may improve the demand for maternal health services in Benin. The study used secondary data from the 2017 Benin Demographic Health Survey. The methodology included two steps. First, we focused on the measurement of the variables of main interest. A composite index of women’s empowerment was constructed with the principal component analysis method. This composite index was based on the social independence and decision-making pillars. Demand for maternal health services was measured through the completeness of antenatal care visits. Second, univariate (percentages), bivariate (chi-squared test of independence), and multiple regression (trivariate recursive probit model) analyses were used to determine the levels of access to modern energy, women’s empowerment, and the demand for maternal health services, and the association between the demand for maternal health services and women’s empowerment. Our results revealed that women’s empowerment in the sample was low, as indicated by a rate of 53.4% and 46.4% of unempowered women, respectively, for the social independence and the decision-making pillars. We reported a low level of demand for maternal health services in the sample, as found by the 47.5% of women who did not complete antenatal care visits during their last pregnancy. We also found that the demand for maternal health services was significantly and positively associated with women’s empowerment. Being an empowered woman increases the chance of completing antenatal care visits by 7.0% and 8.0%, respectively, for the social independence and decision-making dimensions, compared with unempowered woman ceteris paribus, where all other variables are kept equal. We further highlighted the importance of women’s wealth in accessing maternal health services. To address maternal mortality in sub-Saharan African countries, policymakers should improve women’s social independence by promoting women’s education and access to information through the diffusion of information communication and technologies. Such policies should also focus on improving economic living conditions in households.

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