In some of the more traditional parts of the world, fertility is fallingsteadily, sometimes rapidly, in environments where women’s lives remainseverely constrained. The recent experiences of Bangladesh and Egypt,both predominantly Muslim countries, are illustrative in this regard. Sincethe late 1970s, rural and urban areas in both countries have experiencedsteady declines in fertility, with recent declines in rural Bangladesh similarto those in rural Egypt, despite lower levels of development and higherrates of poverty. This paper provides an in-depth exploration of the demo-graphic transition in these two societies as seen through the dual lens ofsociety-wide gender systems and a range of relevant state policies. It ad-dresses three basic questions: (1) have measurable improvements in eco-nomic opportunities for women been a factor in the fertility decline in ei-ther country?; (2) have differences in gender systems at the societal levelprovided a more favorable environment for fertility decline in Bangladeshin comparison to Egypt, despite the former’s more modest economicachievements?; (3) in what ways can the development strategies adoptedby the governments of Bangladesh and Egypt, with their very differentimplications for women’s opportunities in contexts where personal au-tonomy remains limited, be seen as additional factors in explaining thesimilar rural fertility declines despite dissimilar economic circumstances?After reviewing the evidence, the paper concludes that neither differencesin existing gender systems nor measurable changes in women’s opportuni-ties have been key factors in the notable demographic successes recordedin these two countries. Indeed, low levels of women’s autonomy have posedno barrier to fertility decline in either country. However, there is a case tobe made that Bangladesh’s distinct approach to development, with consid-erable emphasis on reaching the rural poor and women and a strong reli-ance on nongovernmental institutions, may have played a part in accelerat-ing the transition in that environment and in helping women to becomemore immediate beneficiaries of that process