FERTILITY AND CULTURE IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA - A REVIEW

Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest levels of fertility in the world. The reasons for the high and persistent fertility are cultural. For instance, under the patriarchal system - which is prevalent in most of sub-Saharan Africa - the emphasis is on family and descent. Consequently, the role of women is one of nurturers and bearers of children. In order to achieve this objective, women are led into marriage and exchanged for bridewealth at an early age, and they must strive for higher fertility to enhance their status and respect. Childlessness is seen as a curse, so women who are childless run the risk of being stigmatized and accused of witchcraft. Other mechanisms used to sustain high fertility are polygyny, the levirate and child fostering. Thus, it is argued here that fertility decline in this region will take several more generations unless the perceptions, belief systems and traditions undergo radical changes coupled with improvements in the status of women. Several options are suggested; for example, there is a greater need for more education for women, an increase in their labour force participation in the modern sectors of the economy, an abolition of the bridewealth, a greater say in family size decisions and the use of modern contraception.