Investigation of the relationship between abortion and women’s socioeconomic status worldwide

Title : Investigation of the relationship between abortion and women’s socioeconomic status worldwide

Abstract:

Introduction: Abortion remains a complex and sensitive issue, representing a significant challenge for contemporary families and societies globally. Governments worldwide are increasingly seeking to reduce abortion rates through targeted policies. A comprehensive understanding of the socioeconomic factors influencing abortion is essential for developing effective strategies. This study investigates the relationship between women’s socioeconomic status and abortion prevalence.

Method: This research employed a documentary method, analyzing international datasets sourced from the Global Abortion Policies Database, Population Review World, and the Guttmacher Institute.

Results: The findings indicate that abortion is more prevalent in countries exhibiting higher levels of gender discrimination, fewer women occupying parliamentary seats, extended durations of unpaid maternity leave, and lower rates of female labor force participation. The multivariate regression analysis indicates that these factors collectively explain approximately 45% of the variance in the dependent variable, abortion. Among them, gender discrimination and maternity leave have the most significant impact?"

Conclusion: To effectively reduce abortion rates, it is recommended that policies focus on enhancing women’s empowerment, including providing employment benefits and increasing women's participation in economic and political spheres.

Keywords: abortion, policy, socioeconomic status, empowerment, gender discrimination

Biography:

Dr. Fateme Modiri is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the National Institute for Population Research (Tehran, Iran), in the Family Studies Department. Her doctoral dissertation focused on family values and the factors influencing them, with a particular emphasis on religiosity (a generational analysis). Dr. Modiri has led and contributed to numerous research projects and publications. Her academic work primarily focuses on family studies, kinship ties, marital quality, fertility, gender attitudes, women’s roles, and religiosity. She has published over 50 research articles in national and international academic journals. She has also served as the project manager for two major studies:

• Relationships and Links in the Family and Their Demographic Consequences
• A Study on Kinship Relations and Ties in the Context of Demographic Changes