Women's Family Planning and Development in a Rural Ugandan Village

Women in rural Uganda commonly face challenges with regard to their health and ability to provide economic support for themselves and their families. These challenges arise from socio-cultural factors including early marriage, high fertility rates, low educational attainment, and high prevalence of diseases such as HIV/AIDS and malaria, which occur in the broader context of poverty, traditional gender roles, and gender inequality. This qualitative study used a thematic analysis of interview data to describe women’s perspectives on family planning, child-rearing challenges, hopes for their children, and current and desired skills. The study sample included 13 women aged 20 – 62 from a rural village in south central Uganda who have access to a Ugandan NGO dedicated to providing education to children, basic health care, and promoting women’s self-sufficiency. Themes in the data included women raising multiple children (i.e., their own as well as orphans and grandchildren), inadequate resources to support all of their children’s basic needs (i.e., school fees, food, clothing, and medical care), desire for their children to attain higher education and professional jobs (i.e., teacher, nurse, doctor, politician), and desire to attain advanced skills and access to resources (i.e., business skills, loans, and land to operate small businesses). Most women were using modern birth control methods (primarily “injectables”) though some had stopped using contraceptives due to health complications or misconceptions. Education from women health care providers is recommended due to gender-based cultural norms. Findings are applicable to health care workers, community developers, and women’s development workers in Uganda.