Page 42 - Health, Population and Environment Education 10

the household activities. They are deprived of decision making and planning of family.
In certain cases, females are forced to bear more children as well as have polygamy due
to their status. Hence, the females need to be educated and people must maintain gender
equality. Generally, the educated females understand the effects of population growth and
they are aware of controlling population. Moreover, they should be given opportunities for
acquiring skills and trainings, employment, social and political participation, awareness
generation, decision makings etc. When the females get job opportunities, they have less
time in bearing and rearing children. Ultimately, the population is controlled.

Direct Methods of Population Management
a. Marriage at Appropriate Age
Marriage is compulsory in our society. But, people
need to marry only after proper physical growth and
socio-economic empowerment. Getting married only
after physical and socio-economic empowerment is
regarded as marriage at appropriate age. It is better
to get married at the appropriate age, i.e. 25-30 years
for both males and females. It is better to get married
at that age group from physical, mental, biological,
social, economical, emotional, pshychological and
reproductive point of view. People must avoid early
marriage because early marriage can lead towards Fig: 22
increase in fertility rate of females and increase in
number of children. Even, they must avoid late marriage which can have adverse impact
on health of mother and child. Marriage at appropriate age delays bearing of children and
controls population growth.

b. Conception at Appropriate Age
People need to get married at the appropriate age. After marriage, people like to bear
children but it is better to bear children only after proper physical maturity. Females need
to conceive only after 20 years. That is called as conception at appropriate age. It reduces
complications during pregnancy and delivery period. Similarly, there are less physical
and emotional problems by conception at appropriate age. Moreover, conception at
appropriate age decreases fertility rate in females.

c. Birth Spacing
Maintaining at least four to five years of gap
between the birth of two children is called birth
spacing. People must strictly maintain birth
spacing when they wish to bear more than one
child. There are several advantages of birth
spacing. Some of them are as follows:
i. It helps to maintain family size.
Fig: 23
ii. It helps parents to bring up children.
42 GREEN Health, Population and Environment Education Book-10