Cultural expectations in Congo and other parts of Africa are driving women to have numerous children in hopes of producing a male heir, a practice that significantly jeopardizes their health and contributes to the region's high maternal mortality rates. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the fertility rate stands at 5.9 children per woman, societal norms often place immense pressure on women to bear sons to continue family lineage.
Prosper Mbumba, a human rights activist from Congo, shared his experience of feeling compelled to have more children after his first four were daughters. He described the cultural demand to produce a male heir as an insult if unmet, stating, "I should do my best to get more children, expecting to have a boy." He and his wife, Régine Ntumba, expressed relief upon the birth of their first son, with Mbumba feeling "a little satisfied" and Ntumba "very happy to learn that finally I have a boy."
This intense pressure on women is a significant factor in sub-Saharan Africa, a region with the world's fastest-growing population and accounting for approximately 70% of global maternal deaths. These deaths, numbering around 180,000 annually, occur amidst challenges such as a shortage of medical personnel and limited resources for managing complex births, particularly in rural areas.
Patrick Djemo, who leads MSI Reproductive Choices in Congo, noted that the quest for male heirs is deeply embedded in the societal fabric, leading to unwanted childbearing for many women. He explained that men often block their partners from utilizing family planning services, asserting their decision-making authority. According to the UN Population Fund, roughly 29% of Congolese women of reproductive age report an "unmet need" for family planning, whether to space births or to cease childbearing.
Despite a five-year strategic plan by Congolese authorities aiming to provide access to quality family planning services by 2026, the task remains substantial in a country plagued by poor infrastructure and ongoing armed conflict. Midwives in Congo frequently encounter women desperate to have sons. Annie Tshiamala, head of a Congolese midwives' association, recalled a decades-old incident of a woman in her 40s, undergoing a difficult labor with her ninth child, who was deeply disappointed to learn it was another girl, fearing her marriage was at risk due to her inability to produce a son.
Even educated women in Kinshasa face similar pressures. Gloria Masanka, a radio presenter, stated that "When you don’t have boys, you are not worth respect" from her in-laws, citing the fear of the family name disappearing if sons are not born. Masanka, mother of two daughters, has experienced miscarriages and dangerous pregnancy-induced high blood pressure. Her husband has even suggested seeking a girlfriend to father a male heir, highlighting the persistent societal expectations.