Women's reproductive rights, modernization, and family planning programs in developing countries: A causal model

Ongoing debates on women's reproductive rights in world conferences and con ventions have heightened the need for empirical research and theoretical ex planations of women's reproductive rights. The study examines the effects o f family planning programs and the processes of modernization on women's re productive rights. The study involves 101 developing countries. Using linear structural equati on analysis, the study finds that family planning programs reduce populatio n growth. However, population decline does not influence women's reproducti ve rights. The most important determinant of reproductive rights is gender equality. Socioeconomic development has a positive effect on women's educat ional attainment, but is negatively related to gender equality. The direct effect of women's education on reproductive rights is negative. Theoretical and policy implications of the findings are presented.