[Exploring women's empowerment experiences in family planning in socio-cultural context of Isfahan city: a qualitative study]

ABSTRACT

Women's empowerment in family planning is essential key of reproductive health. In this area women should be gaining authority and power for decision-making for child bearing. Fertility decisions were influenced by power relations between the couples in family and social-cultural context. This study aimed at exploring women's empowerment experiences in family planning in socio-cultural context of Isfahan city. With a qualitative approach, data were gathered from 37 married women who eligible for contraception at childbearing age. Seven focus group discussion sessions and seven individual interviews were recorded and analyzed with using conventional content analysis. Analysis of data showed that six subcategory for two main socio- cultural factors category that contributing in women empowerment in family planning. In view of participants social factors including The Impact of Media on Shaping the Status of Women in Decision-Making, The role of School Curriculum to Form Empowerment Infrastructures and Women Employment. Cultural factors includes Positive Attitude to have Child, Women Responsibility for Family Planning and Men Dominant in Reproductive Decision-Making. According to the participants view, social factors such as media could play a crucial role towards strengthening women's decision-making and schools could develop the empowerment's infrastructures and women employment could improve women social status but impressive performance by them did not enough. Also cultural factors deems women to be responsible for contraception and decrease women's control over their fertility. Therefore we require profound socio-cultural changes for empowering women in family planning