When and Whom to Marry? Changes in Men's Marriage Patterns and Their Implications for Fertility Decline in Rural Senegal

Nathalie Mondain, Harvard University

The fertility decline in Senegal is associated to changes in marriage patterns, in particular to the postponement of women’s first marital union. However, premarital fertility is increasing, implying that the link between marriage and the start of the reproductive life should be nuanced. Because of their key position as decision-makers within the family, the issue of when and whom to marry will be considered from men’s perspective. Qualitative and quantitative data are used to determine how the adoption of “innovative” behaviors occurs in the Niakhar rural area. Men seem to marry at a younger age than previous generations and they seem to have more autonomy in choosing their spouse because of their migration and urban experiences. We will show how these changes in timing and couple matching may shape women’s own reproductive timing and the couples’ expectations in terms of family formation.