Girls' Schooling, Women's Autonomy and Fertility Change in South Asia

Leading experts in demography and education demonstrate, in this volume, the fundamental flaws in the widely held belief of policy makers that sending girls to school to `educate' them is sufficient to ensure fertility decline.

Together, the studies make clear that the need to expand contraceptive use, maternal and child health services is more important than ever, and increasing school enrollments of girls is not even a partial alternative to achieve a decline in fertility.