A Study of Women’s Agency in Reproductive Decision-Making in Polygamous Households in Katsina State

Reproductive decision-making in polygamous households involves complex power dynamics that fundamentally affect women's agency, contraceptive autonomy, and family planning outcomes. This study examines women's agency in reproductive decision-making within polygamous household structures in Katsina State. A sequential mixed-method design was employed, beginning with a quantitative survey of 200 women in polygamous households across Funtua, Dutsin-Ma, and Malumfashi, followed by 30 in-depth interviews exploring agency experiences and constraints. Structural equation modelling and thematic analysis were applied. Findings reveal that women in polygamous households demonstrate significantly lower reproductive autonomy scores than women in monogamous households after controlling for education and income. Competition for husband's approval and resources among co-wives creates social pressures that suppress individual family planning preferences. Women in higher-ranked co-wife positions report slightly more reproductive agency, driven by greater household decision-making influence. Islamic scholarly interpretation and husband's authority are the dominant normative frameworks invoked to justify reproductive decision limitation. Importantly, women in households with co-wives who use contraception are more likely to use it themselves, suggesting social norm diffusion pathways. Recommendations include couples and co-wife group reproductive health education, engagement of Islamic scholars in family planning advocacy, and training of health workers in polygamy-sensitive counselling approaches. Keywords: reproductive agency, polygamy, family planning, Katsina State, gender