This thesis examines the process of family planning decision-making with a view to
understanding women's empowerment within the context of the Indonesian population
policies and family planning programme. The objective of the family planning programme,
established in 1970, is to create 'small, happy and prosperous families' through community
participation. This goal has been strengthened by the passage of Law No. 10 of 1992
concerning "Population Development and the Development of Prosperous Families". From
2000, in line with the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development
Programme of Action, women's empowerment has become one of the major concerns of
the family planning programme as stipulated in its new vision and mission statements.
Data for this thesis are provided by fieldwork conducted in two villages in West Java
province, Indonesia, from December 2002 until May 2003. A qualitative research design,
with a phenomenological approach, has shaped the conduct of this study. The case studies
in the two villages revealed that the philosophy of 'small and prosperous family' has
permeated down to the village. This idea has influenced the village couples' decisions
regarding family size. Smaller families with better-educated children are believed to lead
to increased family prosperity.
Generally, decisions to do with family planning and childbearing are made by women
because men regard them as women's business. The contraceptive preferences show that
women bear the major responsibility in the use of family planning methods. Thus women in
these villages were empowered, but only partially. The women's role in terms of decision-making
still exists within the framework of the interests of their husbands. Nevertheless,
women's empowerment in family planning, through access to information and
contraceptive services, has emerged from the case studies as a key factor that has enabled
village women to make informed choices to control their family size. Women's control of
fertility has been a major contributor to the success in reducing fertility and increasing
family prosperity