God should give daughters to rich families only: attitudes towards childbearing among low-income women in Punjab, Pakistan

We evaluated perceptions and experiences of bearing sons and daughters amon g 42 women in Punjab, Pakistan, with special emphasis on son preference, ch anges in women's status within the marital family and resulting health effe cts. Data were collected through repeated, in-depth interviews in Urdu or P unjabi in an urban area in Lahore and a village 40 km. outside of Lahore. F or triangulation purposes, four focus group discussions were performed with additional women. as well as in-depth interviews with eight mothers-in-law , three traditional practitioners and three medical practitioners. In gener al, these women felt that they had limited control over their lives, and th is was exemplified by early marriages, high expectations on newly wed women to conceive and poor access to contraceptives. Women frequently expressed a strong preference for sons, mostly for economic reasons, reflecting women 's subordinate position in Society and the low economic value placed on wom en's work. Mothers of sons mainly discussed health problems during pregnanc y and health effects of repeated childbearing, Mothers of daughters and wom en without children spoke of harassment in the family as well as in society . The results should be of importance in the public health planning in Paki stan as well as for those engaged in women's health issues internationally. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.