TITLE:
The Meanings of “The Child” for Married Couples in Benin
AUTHORS:
Togla Aymard Aguessivognon
KEYWORDS:
Child, Meanings, Married Couples, Benin
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.11 No.4,
April
21,
2023
ABSTRACT: The high fertility rate observed in Benin is perceived to be one of the
causes of poverty within the population. In response, the reduction of births
has been a political priority for the public authorities for several years and
special emphasis has been placed on contraceptive promotion to encourage more
couples to plan births. However, fertility rates remain extremely high and
there is still a strong desire among married people for large families.
According to current data, this high fertility rate can be explained because
married people mistrust contraception for several reasons. Although relevant,
this explanation is insufficient to fully understand all the factors driving
this phenomenon in Benin. To understand the great desire for large families in
Benin, we studied the meaning or
significance of “the child” amongst married people. Through interviews with married people, we observed that the
significance of having children is strongly rooted in the contextual realities
of Benin. These results shed light on understanding high fertility rates among
Beninese married couples. They also suggest that in Benin, the fertility
reduction policy needs to go beyond simple contraceptive promotion by
considering the frame of reference of married people regarding children.