- On average across 18 West and Central African countries, more than seven in 10 respondents (72%) say that girls and women should be able to decide for themselves whether and when to get married (Figure 1).
- o A slimmer majority (53%) believe that women should be able to decide how many children to have and when to have them.
- Three-quarters (76%) of West and Central Africans – including majorities in all 18 surveyed countries – endorse the teaching of sexuality education in school (Figure 2).
- An even larger majority (83%) – including at least seven in 10 respondents in all surveyed countries – say girls who get pregnant or have children should be allowed to continue their schooling (Figure 3).
- But views are divided on who should have access to contraceptives. A slim majority (54%) say contraceptives should be made available to anyone who is sexually active regardless of marital status, while half (50%) endorse access to contraceptives regardless of age (Figure 4).
- o Opinions on contraceptive access vary dramatically by country, from overwhelming support in Cabo Verde to overwhelming opposition in The Gambia (Figure 5).
- o Access to contraceptives regardless of marital status and age wins greater support among women, more educated and wealthier citizens, urban residents, and youth than among their various counterparts (Figure 6).
West and Central Africans express support for women’s right to make choices about marriage and childbearing, a new Afrobarometer analysis reports.
Large majorities also endorse sexuality education in schools and continued education for pregnant girls and young mothers,
But views are divided on whether contraceptives should be made available regardless of marital status and age.
Afrobarometer explored Africans’ views on sexual and reproductive health and rights in its Round 10 surveys in 38 countries. The new report focuses on 18 countries in West and Central Africa.
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