A study exploring the intersectional inequalities in demand for family planning satisfied by religion and women's empowerment was recently published in BMJ Global Health. 

Using data from 148,989 women from 14 multireligious African countries, the study identified that while Muslim was the religious group with lower levels of women's empowerment, African Christians were on average more empowered than the average of women from all low- and middle-income countries. 

Demand for family planning was also higher among Christians than Muslims (57% against 36%). However, it was identified that the coverage increased significantly among Muslims with their empowerment. Considering the three SWPER domains, stronger effects were identified in terms of decision-making.

These findings indicate that while religious beliefs can be a challenge to family planning, promoting gender equity and empowering women can help mitigate these challenges and improve access to reproductive healthcare services for women.

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