This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between women’s empowerment and fertility in rural
Tanzania. Data were collected from randomly selected 120 women in four randomly selected villages from two
wards in Igunga District using a structured and non-structured questionnaire. Descriptive and regression analyses
using Statistical Package for Social Sciences were employed to determine the factors for fertility. Women’s
empowerment was measured by five proxies: economic decision making, mobility, coercive control, family
planning and contraceptive use, and family size decision making. Fertility status was measured by age specific
fertility rates and total fertility rates. The main argument adopted by the study was that higher fertility rates
might be lowered through interventions that enhance women empowerment. The results indicates clearly that
women in the study area are less empowered based on the adopted indicators and such lower levels of
empowerment together with demographic and cultural factors including men’s dominance are responsible for
higher fertility in the study area. The study recommends that interventions addressing cultural factors and
enhancement of women empowerment may lower higher fertility rates from the study area. Moreover, while this
study dealt with women as the unit of data collection and analysis, it is important that such intervention should
involve both men and women. This, as seen from male dominance, is important because any change that is
expected will come from decisions made and owned by men.