Libertés reproductives et recours à la contraception au Niger: les rôles de la religion et de l'environnement social

Abdoul Moumouni Nouhou, Université de Genève

This paper is analysing the role of religiosity and of the social circle on freedom of choice and contraception experience in Niger, from the Hope Consulting 2014 survey. A first part considers women opinions and how they match with their perception of that of their husband, of other women and religious leaders. Results show that women and their husbands views are quite similar, while religious leaders are seen as much more conservative, especially among less religious women. Spacing is widely accepted, even by the most religious women, while birth limitation is still rarely considered. A second part examines actual experience and judgment about contraception. The role of religiosity is not clear. Knowledge and use of contraception are surprisingly similar among more or less religious women. Finally, what influences women answers to the question of considering contraception as a sin is not their actual religiosity, but their perceived view of the position of religious leaders.