On the exercise of autonomy of Filipino women in unions: To practice contraception or not

1. On the exercise of autonomy of Filipino women in unions:To practice contraception or not Paolo Miguel Vicerra International Conference on Health Equity in Asia Jakarta, Indonesia 12-13 December 2012

2. BACKGROUND There has been interest in ways couples make decisions about their reproductive lives. This is an arena where both sexes can assert their influence for them to improve their reproductive health and even their rights. Gender is the social construction of attributes based on the sexes. (Butler, 1990, Webster, 1996; and Marchand 2000) Those perceived differences are forged with reference to the other.

4. Percentage of total women aged 15 to 49 by marital status; 1993 and 2008

5. Percentage of women by different types of unions aged 15 to 49; 1993 to 2008

6. OBJECTIVES The focus of this study is based on the issue of political subordination in the private sphere of the household. Particularly, the autonomy status and contraception use is described. The aim of this study is to determine the relation of household decision autonomy and contraception-use decision autonomy.

7. PREVIOUS STUDIES Relative to other developing countries, the Philippines has a high rate of empowerment among women (Mason 1998). There is the Western feminist perspective that assumes that fertility lowers female status while economic models enhance such status. What Alcantara aims is to confirm such assumptions of Western origin if it were to hold with the Philippine experience on female status (1990.)

8. PREVIOUS STUDIES One is by Hindin and Adair (2002). What is studied are the individual and household characteristics associated with IPV using data from the Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey. If either sex dominates the decision-making process, there is increased violence. This circumstance is avoided when joint decision-making is involved. This exhibits a U-shaped pattern of violence where the extremes have higher likelihood of violence but is avoided when in the middle or in the jointly done decisions.

9. PREVIOUS STUDIES Olea’s study (2004) tested a fertility model which focused on the background and proximate variables that would affect fertility; specifically recent pregnancies. One antecedent factor the author has looked into is women’s autonomy. Autonomy is viewed as ability to communicate between couples and the subsequent decision-making on household concerns.

10. This uses the 2008 National Demographic and Health Survey. Binary logistic regression was used to identify the variables independently associated with the use or non-use of contraception. Separate sets of models with the socio-demographic and autonomy measures are presented to compare married women with those in consensual unions. METHOD

11. Difference of age between the couple Education Employment Number living children METHOD

12. Attitude toward Intimate Partner Violence (IPV)The situations given in the 2008 NDHS are: - If she goes out without telling him - If she neglects the children - If she argues with him - If she refuses to have sex with him - If she burns the food METHOD

13. For household autonomy:A scale of autonomy was created where the number of domains were counted where a woman has full autonomy.0 = a woman is not autonomous 1 and 2 = less autonomous 3 and 4 = autonomous METHOD

14. RESULT Percentage of women who practice contraception by difference of age to their partner by type of union

15. Percentage of women who practice contraception by educational attainment by type of union

16. Percentage of partners of women who practice contraception according to their educational attainment by type of union

17. Percentage of women who practice contraception by employment status by type of union

18. Percentage of women who practice contraception by their residence by type of union

19. Percentage of women who practice contraception by level of household autonomy by type of union

20. Percentage of women who practice contraception and justification of IPV by type of union

21. Logit Model for married women by socio-demographic factors

22. Logit Model for married women by socio-demographic factors and autonomy measures

23. Logit Model for women in consensual union by socio-demographic factors

24. Logit Model women in consensual union by socio-demographic factors and autonomy measures

25. DISCUSSION There is an apparent difference between women who are formally married and those who are cohabiting with their partners. This is a social arrangement that is increasing in prevalence in the country and therefore be further studied. Addressing the perceived needs of women and the particularities within this population is necessary to further attain development and for them to achieve autonomy.

26. RECOMMENDATION This study explores a dimension that may be socio-culturally different between societies. The Philippines, being a society whereby women are perceived to have more autonomy relative to other places, may have a manifestation of this phenomenon due to a “pro-natalist” value. What can be inferred from this is that there may be other themes from access and other prevailing topics on the matter of addressing reproductive health improvement.

27. THANK YOU International Conference on Health Equity in Asia Jakarta, Indonesia 12-13 December 2012