by Vanesa Martìn
Total fertility rate is a measure used by demographers to describe the average number of children that women in a specified population have. Like many African countries, Niger’s fertility rate is high— so high in fact, that is is one of the top ten fastest growing countries in the world. The total fertility rate of the nation is 7.57, meaning that women in Niger women give birth to an average of 7 or 8 children during their lifetimes.
Some have suggested that this population growth is dismantling the development efforts in the country, and a 2012 article from The Economist stated that these increases in population were exacerbating the food crisis in the country.
It is important to take into account the many factors that contribute to Niger’s high fertility rate. Many families in Niger are reliant on subsistence farming for their food so having many children is an important part of maintaining the family’s livelihood. There are, of course, religious and cultural factors as well, and education about sex and family planning is limited. Perhaps one of the most heartbreaking reasons for the country’s high fertility is the fact that one in seven children does not survive to age five. At that rate, every mother in Niger is likely to experience the loss of a child (State of the World’s Mothers, 2012). Finally, a typical girl in Niger receives only four years of education, a fact which contributes greatly to early marriage and motherhood.
All in all, the rate at which Niger’s population is increasing is a concern for development efforts and is a clear contributor to poverty, but it does not have to be this way. When women and girls no longer have to walk for water, their lives are transformed. The girls go to school, and the women receive microfinance training that enables them to start small businesses. Girls delay marriage and motherhood, and women are valued for more than their reproductive abilities. Gradually, there will be a shift toward more formal employment and away from subsistence farming. These cultural shifts are correlated with a decreased fertility rate.
By contributing to Wells Bring Hope, you can have a real impact on issues of overpopulation, poverty, famine, education, health, and early marriage both by through the drilling of wells for immediate relief and access to water, and through the long-term efforts to empower the women of Niger.
