Societal Determinants of Women's Fertility

Abdel Mawgoud Mohamed Saeed, Shaimaa; ., .; ., .

doi:10.21608/qarts.2025.401534.2266

Societal Determinants of Women's Fertility "A Field Study Between Rural and Urban Areas in Qena Governorate"

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

10.21608/qarts.2025.401534.2266

Abstract

The current study aimed to uncover the social determinants and their implications for the reality and future of female fertility in the rural and urban areas of Qena Governorate. The study employed the case study method and used interviews as the primary data collection tool. The sample consisted of (20) purposively selected married women. Data were collected from Qus City and Higaza Qebly Village (both located in southern Qena) and Nag Hammadi City and Haw Village (both located in northern Qena). The results revealed that rural families tend to favor early marriage to preserve a girl’s chastity, which consequently leads to higher fertility rates. The educational level of the wife was found to play a significant role in reducing family size. Moreover, the extended family system prevalent in rural areas was identified as a major contributor to high fertility rates.
Although rural women generally prefer having more children, working women in rural areas tend to limit the number of births to balance their job responsibilities and childcare duties—especially since nursery facilities for infants are largely unavailable in villages compared to cities. In contrast, urban women emphasized the importance of education and mutual understanding between spouses when making family planning decisions, aiming to ensure the family’s overall well-being and meet its material, health, and educational needs.

Keywords

Main Subjects