Measuring Women’s Economic Empowerment in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Nigeria, and Burkina Faso

Bibliographic Data

ID12547294
AuthorsCarolina Cardona (0000-0002-0570-001X, Johns Hopkins University – Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Baltimore, MD, USA, corresponding author), Anaise Williams (0000-0002-4617-9267, Johns Hopkins University – Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Baltimore, MD, USA), Elizabeth Gummerson (0000-0002-5097-0588, Johns Hopkins University – Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Baltimore, MD, USA), Saifuddin Ahmed (0000-0001-6372-213X, Johns Hopkins University – Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Baltimore, MD, USA), Philip Anglewicz (0000-0002-7967-3843, Johns Hopkins University – Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Baltimore, MD, USA)
Year2024
Volume30
Issue2
Pages162-190
Publication date2024-04-02
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueFeminist Economics (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1354-5701 • E-ISSN: 1466-4372
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/13545701.2024.2339979
OpenAlexW4396863975
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited27

There are multiple tools to measure women’s economic empowerment but limited information exists about their cross-cultural validity and reliability. This study assesses the psychometric properties of ten questions measuring two dimensions of women’s economic empowerment. It uses cross-sectional data from six low-and-middle-income settings: Kinshasa and Kongo Central (Demographic Republic of Congo), Kenya, Lagos and Kano (Nigeria), and Burkina Faso. The first dimension, household decision making, was proxied by women’s power to decide household purchases on large items, daily needs, medical treatment, and clothes. This dimension was valid and reliable in all settings. The second dimension, financial autonomy, was proxied by whether women had savings, knew where to obtain financial information, and had financial goals. This dimension was valid and reliable in Kenya, Lagos, and Kano. These findings can inform future surveys aiming to measure women’s economic empowerment.HIGHLIGHTSGiven gaps in WEE measurement, this study aims to identify a set of items measuring dimensions of WEE that are consistent and reliable across cultures and over time.Specifically, the study seeks to measure women’s power in household decision making and financial autonomy that would be consistent across six settings in four African countries.By summarizing dimensions of WEE into seven questions, it supports efficiency of current and future population surveys measuring women’s empowerment.The findings for women’s household decision making are consistent across settings suggesting they can be generalized to other, similar contexts

Democracy · Development economics · Economic growth · Economics · Empowerment · Geography · Political science · Politics · Socioeconomics · Sociology · Gender, Labor, and Family Dynamics · Microfinance and Financial Inclusion · Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare

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