Low Fertility and Secret Family Planning in Lesotho

Title data

Kroeker, Lena:
Low Fertility and Secret Family Planning in Lesotho.
In: Kroeker, Lena (ed.): Fertility, Conjuncture, Difference : Anthropological Approaches to the Heterogeneity of modern Fertility Declines. - Oxford : Berghahn , 2017 . - pp. 247-278 . - (Fertility, Reproduction and Sexuality ; 36 )
ISBN 978-1-78533-604-1

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Abstract in another language

In the last thirty years, socio-economic changes, high female employment, and a change in marital careers have altered Lesotho’s societal structure and, in consequence, fertility control. Three issues seem fundamental when looking at low fertility rates in this context: Who carries primary responsibilities as household head and family bread winner? Is there good access to family planning services? And, are there social norms which advocate childbearing within wedlock?
My case study indicates that employed women in Lesotho have taken care of generating income for larger family networks and remitted money to next of kin, even though their incomes were never an obligatory part of household bread baskets (cf. Mapetla 2005). This observation contrasts to Caldwell's hypothesis that a reduction of own offspring is due to increased investments for few children rather than larger family networks. In my examples, women instead postponed their own desire for offspring and assisted family members (i.e. younger siblings) financially.