Research Proposal:Exploring the effects of women and girls sexual and reproductive health empowerment on population dynamics in Ethiopia Ref.No.SSTCRC2481
1. Introduction
The population of sub-Saharan Africa is projected to double by 2050. Ethiopia will be among the nine countries that will contribute to the largest increase in population between 2019 and 2050. Despite global commitments like the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which emphasize gender equality and universal access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services, many women worldwide still lack the power to make decisions about their bodies. This lack of agency is particularly pronounced in developing regions like SSA, where traditional gender norms often place decision-making power in the hands of male partners. The purpose of this project is to investigate the relationship between women's empowerment and their reproductive health outcomes, particularly in the context of Ethiopia. By examining how empowerment influences fertility intentions, contraceptive use, reproductive coercion, and male partner involvement in fertility decisions, this research seeks to provide a nuanced understanding of the factors shaping fertility outcomes in Ethiopia.
2. Research Progress
The research is currently in the proposal stage. The next steps over the remaining two years will be to smoothen and clean the secondary data from a national survey, analyze the data and write the results. Depending on how the results compare with the existing literature, we may collect and analyze qualitative data to complement results from the quantitative data (secondary data).
3. Cooperation required
· Technical Coaching and Mentoring: Fellowship support from a relevant department or center at a Hong Kong University would allow for focused mentorship. Areas of emphasis include research design, data collection, analysis, scientific writing, grant writing, and statistical modeling.
· Funding Support: Financial assistance is crucial for comprehensive research. We seek funding to cover qualitative data collection, quantitative and qualitative data analysis and integration, research report writing retreats, editing, and publication expenses.
· Conference Attendance: Attending relevant conferences (such as the International Conference on Family Planning, Women Deliver, and SVRI) is essential for networking and knowledge exchange. We need financial support to cover conference registration, travel, and accommodation costs.
· Experience Sharing and Networking: Engaging with researchers, mentors, and institutions specializing in population studies, reproductive health, and gender issues will enrich our collaboration. Experience sharing and networking opportunities will enhance research quality and facilitate best practice exchange.