Family Planning Decision-Making at Grass-Roots Level: Case Studies in West Java, Indonesia

Abstract

This thesis examines the process of family planning decision-making with a view to understanding women's empowerment within the context of the Indonesian population policies and family planning programme. The objective of the family planning programme, established in 1970, is to create 'small, happy and prosperous families' through community participation. This goal has been strengthened by the passage of Law No. 10 of 1992 concerning "Population Development and the Development of Prosperous Families". From 2000, in line with the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development Programme of Action, women's empowerment has become one of the major concerns of the family planning programme as stipulated in its new vision and mission statements. Data for this thesis are provided by fieldwork conducted in two villages in West Java province, Indonesia, from December 2002 until May 2003. A qualitative research design, with a phenomenological approach, has shaped the conduct of this study. The case studies in the two villages revealed that the philosophy of 'small and prosperous family' has permeated down to the village. This idea has influenced the village couples' decisions regarding family size. Smaller families with better-educated children are believed to lead to increased family prosperity. Generally, decisions to do with family planning and childbearing are made by women because men regard them as women's business. The contraceptive preferences show that women bear the major responsibility in the use of family planning methods. Thus women in these villages were empowered, but only partially. The women's role in terms of decision-making still exists within the framework of the interests of their husbands. Nevertheless, women's empowerment in family planning, through access to information and contraceptive services, has emerged from the case studies as a key factor that has enabled village women to make informed choices to control their family size. Women's control of fertility has been a major contributor to the success in reducing fertility and increasing family prosperity.