Examining the correlates of gender equality and the empowerment of married women in Zambia

Abstract

This paper is an analysis of the factors that predict the involvement of women in decision-making within households in Zambia. It is a study at the micro-level of some of the indicators used in calculating the Gender Status Index, which reflects women empowerment and gender equality. Using the 2007 Zambia Demographic Health Survey and complementary log–log models, the study investigates the determinants of women empowerment and gender equality. At the multivariate level, wealth, education, and employment significantly influence women’s involvement in household decision-making. Older women were however, more likely to be involved in decision-making concerning daily household purchases. Interestingly, married women from the Northwestern and Western parts of the country were more likely to engage in a patriarchal bargain and negotiate spaces of power and decision-making than those from the Lusaka province – the capital. These findings will be beneficial for programme and policy formulation with regard to women empowerment and gender equality in Zambia. Women’s involvement in decision-making with their partners and within the household will spill over into their integration and representation on civil–political platforms, with a potential to increase productivity and improve development outcomes in context.