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Project
The drivers of the fertility transition among women in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Congolese diaspora in Belgium: a comparative mixed-methods study (FWOTM1134)
Although most sub-Saharan African countries have started the onset
of a fertility transition, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) still
has very high fertility rates which have not declined in recent years.
In an economically weakened and politically unstable country like
DRC, this has profound implications on a macro- and micro-level: on
the one hand, population growth, and its associated socioeconomic
challenges, and on the other, adverse effects on maternal and child
health. This project aims to contribute to our understanding of the
Congolese fertility transition by identifying the drivers. A mixed
methods approach is used to answer the question as to which factors
and changes in a woman’s life impact fertility and which ones do not.
In a comparative perspective, the fertility of the Congolese diaspora
in Belgium will also be examined to gain better understanding of the
mechanisms through which the fertility transition is diffused, and of
the effects of migration on fertility. Three specific research objectives
are tackled: 1) providing an empirically grounded account of the
fertility trends and determinants of women in DRC; 2) assessing and
comparing the fertility of the Congolese diaspora in Belgium with their
non-migrant counterparts in DRC; and 3) identifying the associated
social, cultural, and environmental conditions and mechanisms.
of a fertility transition, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) still
has very high fertility rates which have not declined in recent years.
In an economically weakened and politically unstable country like
DRC, this has profound implications on a macro- and micro-level: on
the one hand, population growth, and its associated socioeconomic
challenges, and on the other, adverse effects on maternal and child
health. This project aims to contribute to our understanding of the
Congolese fertility transition by identifying the drivers. A mixed
methods approach is used to answer the question as to which factors
and changes in a woman’s life impact fertility and which ones do not.
In a comparative perspective, the fertility of the Congolese diaspora
in Belgium will also be examined to gain better understanding of the
mechanisms through which the fertility transition is diffused, and of
the effects of migration on fertility. Three specific research objectives
are tackled: 1) providing an empirically grounded account of the
fertility trends and determinants of women in DRC; 2) assessing and
comparing the fertility of the Congolese diaspora in Belgium with their
non-migrant counterparts in DRC; and 3) identifying the associated
social, cultural, and environmental conditions and mechanisms.
Date:1 Nov 2022 → Today
Keywords:Fertility, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sexual and reproductive health and rights
Disciplines:Family and household studies, Fertility, Migration, Population trends and policies