Gender Norms and Reproductive Agency: Lived Experiences and Challenges of Working Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health
Abstract
This study examines how gender norms shape sexual and reproductive health (SRH) autonomy among married working women in India. Despite workforce participation, patriarchal norms, limited spousal negotiation, restricted mobility, and inadequate workplace support constrain reproductive agency. Grounded in Bourdieu’s concepts of habitus, field, and symbolic violence, the study adopts a mixed-methods approach, using a structured interview schedule administered as a survey to 104 married academic professionals in Jaipur, followed by in-depth semi-structured interviews with the same respondents. Findings reveal male dominance in SRH decision-making and limited contraceptive and sexual autonomy, underscoring the need for gender-transformative SRH policies.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Historical Studies on Reproduction
Gender
Health
and Societal Changes
Reproductive Health and Technologies
Demographic Trends and Gender Preferences
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Women s Reproductive Health
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Volume
- 13
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 848–862
- Publication date
- 16 January 2026
- Language
- EN