Fertility Pattern and Reproductive Health of Harijan (Dalit) Community in Select Destinations of Assam

Abstract

Fertility refers to the natural capability to give birth, encompassing both the individual and population’s capacity to produce viable offspring. In general, fertility is considered a biological phenomenon, however, in reality it is influenced by numerous factors beyond biology. These factors include Age at marriage, Education, Occupation, Family income, and others. This study aims to explore the fertility patterns and reproductive health conditions of married females in the Harijan (Dalit) community. Despite being legally recognized as Scheduled Castes and entitled to various opportunities, Harijan women continue to face substantial socio-economic challenges. Education may affect fertility by influencing the age at marriage. Additionally, Education can influence females’ fertility decisions through increased contraceptive use. This paper aims to assess the influence of various factors on the Fertility and Reproductive Health of Harijan (Dalit) women of 8 randomly selected districts i.e. Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat, Nagaon and Kamrup (Metro) districts of Assam. Despite being legally recognized as Scheduled Castes and entitled to various opportunities, Harijan women continue to face substantial socio-economic challenges. This research seeks to provide reliable data on fertility levels and trends within this community, highlighting the factors affecting their reproductive health and offering insights for targeted interventions to improve their socio-economic and health outcomes.