Pensee Journal Vol 75, No. 11;Nov 2013 126 office@penseejournal.com The Impact of Women’s Autonomy on the Reproductive Behavior in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan Sarfraz Khan, Zia-ur-Rehman, Anwaar Mohyuddin, Waheed Chaudhry, Farhan Ahmad Faiz, Ikram Badshah Department of Sociology & Anthropology, Quaid-i-Azam University PO Box 45320 Islamabad Pakistan Tel: 092-51-90643062 E-mail: sarfraz@qau.edu.pk Abstract: Besides the ample vibrant problems prevailing in the society this study is pointed to ponder on the most delicate issue of women’s position and its influence on the maternal health care utilization (MHCU) pattern in the context of Pakistan. The study is anomalous because it is conducted in a tribal society where women’s position is a scarce phenomenon. The study is based on a representative sample of 211 married female respondents who have passed a period of 6 weeks after their child birth. In this study both the dimensions of women’s autonomy and maternal health care were analyzed through sub- indicators. Among the key indicators of women’s autonomy education, household decision making, control over finance and freedom of movement is inbounded while the maternal health care indicators are prenatal care, postnatal care and care taken by respondents at the time of delivery. SPSS software version 16 was used to draw correlation between variables of Women’s autonomy and MHCU. It has been evidenced that the indicators of women’s autonomy affects the health care seeking patterns in multidimensional manners. Keywords: Women’s autonomy, Maternal health care utilization, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan 1. Introduction In the present ear when all of the global humanitarian and development organizations are trying focus of the women’s emancipation at the same time there are some communities likewise the present study locale i.e. Astore in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan experiencing the difference to the women liberation. Different studies in the context of South Asia and more specifically in the context of Pakistan have time and again identified that there is a huge difference between those women who lives in the rural setting and among those who are living in the urban settings. These studies have also concluded that there is a greater influence of the women’s education and autonomy on the health care utilization or reproductive behavior as Khan, Sajid, and Iqbal (2010) stated that in the context of the Pakistan that those women who have higher education and enjoys more autonomy are positively associated to the health care utilization at three different levels during the reproductive process i.e. i) prenatal, ii) at the time of delivery of child, and iii) postnatal. When one overview the same phenomenon at world level different studies have identified that women’s autonomy have been challenged and blocked by the men-folk throughout the ages. There are different processes through which the women-folk has been blocked and challenged by their counterparts. These process remained variant in different localities and regions like majority of women are blocked by the major indicators of women’s autonomy through restricting them to the boundary of home i.e. usurping them freedom of movement and simultaneously devoid them from the right to get education, then marginalizing their role from the mainstream decision making avenues in domestic and public circles and to some extent they are also blocked in the process of voting as well. Ultimately this antagonism has restricted the exposure for women in the social world, therefore, by adversely affecting the primary child rearing avenues of mother, eventually leading to issues of maternal mortality and infant mortality. Greater autonomy increases utilization of maternal health care which involves antenatal and delivery care services, compared with fertility and family planning (Woldemicael, 2010). So once again a vital matter of concern arises that what are the main factors which act as driving force for a women to get autonomy. Several researchers agree that the effect of women’s autonomy on reproductive health outcomes should be examined using measures that reflect women’s extent of freedom of movement and of control over