A REFLECTION ON THE SIGNIFICANCE OF MOTHER’S EMPOWERMENT IN INFANT MORTALITY RATE

Author(s) : Syeda Azra Batool, Syeda Shahida Batool, and Mahir Farooq

Abstract:

Infant mortality is a common problem of the developing countries. Though Pakistan has reduced the infants’ death number from 106 deaths in 1990 to 62 deaths in 2018 in every 1000 infants, still stands among the highest infant death rate countries in the world. The present study is an attempt to assess the role of mothers’ empowerment (measured with Women’s Empowerment Index), utilization of child healthcare services and demographics in the infant mortality rate in Pakistan. The convenient sample of 300 ever married women of reproductive age (21-49), having at least one child, was taken from three city districts of Punjab, Pakistan (viz., Multan, Khanewal, & Dera Ghazi Khan). The result of the Ordinary Least Squares technique indicated that two dimensions of women/mothers’ empowerment viz., economic and familial, mother’s age at marriage, mothers’ education, antenatal care, postnatal care, and vaccination status had negative impact on infants’ mortality rate in Pakistan. The recommendations have been given in the light of the results attained.