High fertility rates in Niger undermine its economic and social development

Evidence

Niger has one of the world’s highest fertility rates, which thwarts any effort at social and economic development. Only about 15% of married women use contraceptive methods. Frequent childbearing is associated with high rates of maternal and infant mortality. In addition, many women suffer urinary incontinence from vesicovaginal tissue damage due to prolonged, obstructed labor without skilled assistance and too-close spacing of births. — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement, 2880

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the broader theme of how social norms and practice gaps shape fertility behavior, which Bandura develops across the chapter.