Paid Work & Decision Making Power of Married Women Cross Sectional Survey of Muzaffarabad Azad State of Jammu & Kashmir

Abstract

Background: Current research focuses primarily on women’s autonomy in decision making while little attention is paid to their freedom of expression. Socioeconomic & socio demographic factors affect women’s autonomy in decision making. In the developing countries, particularly in Pakistan, although women are making significant financial contributions but they are still under collective decisions of husband and other family members while sometimes they are blindly relying on husband’s decision. Objective of study was to find out association of women’s autonomy in decision making & socioeconomic factors. Method: Cross sectional survey was conducted in Muzaffarabad Azad Kashmir on married working women (N = 500). The data consist of women’s three decisions: birth control decision, financial decision and freedom of expression. A number of socio-demographic variables were used in chi-square analysis to examine the association of these variables with the said decisions. Results: Age, residence, education, professional differences, job nature, monthly income of married women are positively associated with autonomy in decision making. 59% women of above 30 years age exercise independence in birth control decisions (p value 0.02). Urban women (96%) are more likely to be autonomous in birth control decision than women from rural areas (p value 0.00). Educational attainment effects women autonomy as professionally qualified women (87.2%) are more independent in birth control decisions, independent in spending income (86.5%), having freedom of expression (55.4%). Furthermore women living in nuclear families exercise more independence in birth control decisions (77.2), income spending decisions (76) and enjoy more freedom of expression (56.2). Women working in government sector have independence in birth control (71), financial decisions (70.4), and freedom of expression (52.4%) with p value 0.00. Women earning salary of above 20,000 enjoy autonomy in birth control decisions (87.5%), financial decisions (87.2%), freedom of expression (57.4) with p value 0.00.