Role of Gender Beliefs and Gender Division of Domestic Labor in Fertility Preferences and Intentions among Men and Women in Tehran

This paper aims to determine the role of gender beliefs and gender division of domestic chores in fertility preference and intentions among men and women resided in Tehran. This article is based on a secondary analysis of the data gathered in a cross sectional survey among 920 men and women in reproductive age who had one child younger than 5 years and had attended to governmental health clinics for child vaccination during summer 2012. The results showed that fertility preferences among men and women with traditional gender beliefs were significantly greater than those with egalitarian gender attitudes. Women who benefited from greater support of their spouse in domestic chores, had significantly greater fertility preference.  Poisson Logarithm Model indicated that traditional gender attitudes were significant predictor of higher fertility preference after control of education and employment, only among women. While, there was no significant association between fertility intention and gender attitudes. The gender division of domestic chores was significantly associated with fertility intentions among women, not men. Women whose spouse had a greater contribution in domestic chore, showed greater fertility intention compared to other women. Results will have implications in policies to encourage fertility among young families by increasing the role of men in domestic chores and child rearing in Iran.