Role of Family Planning Services in Empowering Women: a Qualitative Study

Nowadays, family planning is a separate concept from contraceptive tools. It is considered as a fundamental element in accessing to fertility rights, empowering women, and promoting women’s status in societies. It aims to empower women for appropriate decision-makings about family planning and help them to have aware decisions. To be assure of women’s empowerment, while giving family planning services, is an essential prerequisite for enhancing reproductive health. This study aimed to explore women’s perceptions about role of family planning services in empowering them. In this qualitative study, data were gathered from 37 married women who were using contraceptives and were willing to participate in the study. Seven focus group discussions and five individual interviews were recorded and analyzed using qualitative content analysis method. Analysis of data emerged four main categories about the role of health centers in empowering women: calling for men’s participation in family planning counseling by health providers, providing comprehensive reproductive health services, extending free family planning services, and applying suitable technology for informing society. T he results showed that present physical access to health centers and free family planning services cannot help women to fulfill their needs. Health centers should provide new approaches to provide comprehensive reproductive health services. This will result in helping women to decide consciously and voluntarily to have more control over their fertility.