Women's autonomy and reproductive behavior in two urban areas of Nepal

In recent years, increasing attention has been given to improving women's status and enhancing their roles in the process of socio-economic development. Various dimensions related to these issues are being explored. One prominent school of thought has investigated the linkage between women's status their reproductive behaviour and holds that as inequalities between the sexes diminish, the emerging processes set off behavioural changes that culminate in a decline in fertility. The present study builds upon this assumption and further explores the mechanisms of autonomy that result in fertility differentials between subgroups of women.