Negotiation, communication and decision-making among couples in developing countries

Dodji Gbetoglo, Université de Lomé
Kokou Vignikin, Université de Lomé

Using the couple as unit of analysis, the present study aims to identify the determinants of the discussions between husbands and wives and to encircle the influence of these discussions on the family projects and the use of contraception in the couples. It is based on the following central assumption: The communication within the couple influences the various negotiations between husbands and wives in all the fields of the life and particularly in that of reproductive health. To test this assumption, we had recourse to the data of the Investigation "Famille, Migrations et Urbanisation au Togo (EFAMTO)" carried out in 2000 by "Unité de Recherche Démographique (URD)" and "Direction Générale de la Statistique et de la Comptabilité Nationale (DGSCN)", This national survey is realized into a representative random sample where 2773 households were interviewed. From informations collected individually near men and women, 1778 couples were reconstituted.