Land, informal employment, and fertility preferences in rural southwestern Uganda: A qualitative study

Abstract

Land and informal work remain central to rural livelihoods in Uganda, yet their role in shaping fertility preferences is not well understood. This qualitative study examined how land ownership and informal livelihoods influence men’s and women’s fertility decision-making in rural southwestern Uganda. We conducted 15 focus group discussions and 30 in-depth interviews with women (18–49) and men (18–54) of reproductive age in Rubirizi district. Interviews were conducted in the local language, audio recorded, transcribed, translated into English, and thematically analyzed. Findings show that participants often linked land ownership to men’s preferences for large families, grounded in lineage continuity, provision, and social standing, even as land availability declined. Women described limited land rights under customary tenure as constraining their economic security and bargaining space in fertility-related decisions. Informal livelihoods were portrayed as enabling household survival, but were financially unstable, shaping many women’s preferences for smaller families, while limiting their ability to act on these preferences. This study highlights how participants described land relations and livelihood insecurity as gendered influences on the formation and negotiation of fertility preferences in agrarian settings.