Employment Status and Contraceptive Choices of Women With Young Children in Turkey

Abstract

The childcare burden is one of the main reasons behind the lower employment rate of women in Turkey, and the opportunity cost of childbearing is high for employed women (especially for those in higher-paid jobs). Since using an effective birth control method allows women to control the timing of reproduction, there may be differences in contraception behavior between employed women and women not working for pay. This study analyzes the impact of employment status of women with young children on their contraception behavior using data from the 2013 Turkey Demographic and Health Survey (TDHS). Results show that employed women, including family workers, are more likely to choose a modern method over a traditional one, particularly those working as government employees. Results also indicate that the likelihood of employment can be enhanced by increasing the share of public provision of childcare and preschool services.