Level Of Empowerment Research Articles

Early childhood development and its association with women's empowerment in the context of urban poverty in Ethiopia

BackgroundEmpowered women, with increased access to and control over resources, stronger social networks, greater decision-making power, and a more positive gender attitude, significantly contribute to better family well-being. While there is ample evidence regarding the association between child nutrition and women's empowerment, studies examining the association between early childhood development (ECD) and women's empowerment are scarce. AimsThe aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of ECD delays among 12–36 months old and investigate its association with women's empowerment among the urban poor in Ethiopia. MethodsThe study included a sample of 432 women who were unemployed or had irregular employment during the data collection period, along with their children in urban Ethiopia. The ECD was assessed using the Age and Stage Questionnaire (ASQ-3), a tool designed to accurately identify developmental delays in infants and young children and categorized as on track, needs monitoring, and possible delays. Women's empowerment was measured using a multidimensional index that captured access to and control over resources, decision-making power, and social capital, and then categorized into lowest, medium, and highest empowerment levels. The association between ECD domains and women's empowerment was analyzed using ordinal logistic regression, after adjusting for confounders. ResultsThe study found a high prevalence of delays in ECD domains, with fine motor domain accounting for the largest delay (40.6 %). Children of less empowered mothers are more likely to have the highest development delays in communication (OR=2.22; 95 % CI: 1.36; 3.62), gross motor (OR=1.69; 95 % CI: 1.04; 2.76), problem solving (OR=1.85; 95 % CI: 1.15; 2.98), and personal-social (OR=2.59; 95 % CI: 1.62; 4.15) skills compared to children of more empowered mothers. ConclusionsThe study highlights the significance of women's empowerment in promoting ECD, especially in developing countries where ECD programs are fragmented and lacks coordination. Therefore, targeted interventions that improve women's empowerment could lead to improved ECD outcomes.

Diarrheal disease and associated factors among children aged 6 to 59 months in Oda Bultum District, Eastern Ethiopia: a community-based cross-sectional study

BackgroundDiarrhea is a serious health problem in children under the age of five that is both preventable and treatable. In low-income countries like Ethiopia, children under the age five years frequently experience diarrhea. However, the burden and associated factors of these diarrheal diseases are understudied in Eastern Ethiopia, Thus, this study aimed to determine the factors associated with the prevalence of diarrheal diseases in Eastern Ethiopia from September 1–30, 2022.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted on the total of 602 children aged 6 to 59 months in Oda Bultum district in eastern Ethiopia. A multistage sampling method was used. Three kebeles were selected from nine kebeles by the lottery method. Data was entered into Epi data 4.0.2 and exported to SPSS version 21 for analysis. Descriptive analysis was used for frequency, mean, and standard deviations. In addition, bivariable, and multivariable Poisson regression model was used to identify predictors of diarrhea along with a 95% confidence interval. Finally, statistical significance was declared at a p-value of 0.05.ResultA total of 602 children were included in this study. The prevalence of diarrhea 7.4% (47/602), 95% CI; 5.5–9.7%) among the children. Factors such as being unvaccinated for any vaccine (AOR = 10.82, 95%CI; 4.58–25.48) and born from a mother who had medium level of empowerment (AOR = 0.34, 95%CI; 0.11–0.88) in the household had statistically significant association with diarrhea among the children compared to their counterparts.ConclusionThe study found that nearly one out of thirteen children aged 6 to 59 months had any form of diarrheal diseases in Oda Bultum District, Eastern Ethiopia. In addition, the study revealed that children who were vaccinated for their age developed diarrhea less likely compared to those who did not receive any form of vaccine for their age. Moreover, children with mothers who had a medium level of empowerment were less likely to get diarrhea than children with mothers who had a low level of empowerment.

Age and Agency: Evidence from a Women’s Empowerment Program in Tanzania

Understanding the effectiveness of programs designed to empower women is important for development policy, and critically important in places with historically unequal gender norms. In this paper, we evaluate the impact of a multidimensional program on women’s empowerment in northern Tanzania, where our study sample is among the pastoralist and traditionally patriarchal Maasai tribe. The multidimensional approach of the program included various components: microcredit groups, business skills, livestock management, water improvements, women’s rights discussions, and nutrition education. To measure the effect of the program, we employ a difference-in-differences approach, with doubly robust weighting. We use the livestock-enhanced project-level Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (pro-WEAI), a new quantitative measurement of women’s empowerment designed for communities where livestock is a main productive asset. Our analysis of the program impact shows that the multidimensional program led to higher levels of empowerment for young women, specifically more group membership, access to credit, increased control over income, and a larger input into household productive decisions. Notably, the improvement in empowerment for young women does not reflect any change in attitudes towards intimate partner violence. Despite the positive findings for young women, we do not find any change in empowerment for the full sample of women (all ages). Our results demonstrate that programming focused on women’s empowerment has differential effects over a woman’s life cycle.

Application of appropriate technology for feed supplements in Sukanagalih Village, Tasikmalaya Regency

Feed supplement is useful as a growth promoter, increasing efficiency and feed consumption, helping digestion and metabolism, and improving the quality of livestock products. The aim of this community service is to apply appropriate technology to utilize mangosteen peel and turmeric as feed supplement for poultry in Sukanagalih Village, Tasikmalaya Regency, as well as produce quality feed supplement and improve the skills of farmers in processing the supplement feed. This community service activity is one of the Kosabangsa programs between the Universitas Perjuangan Tasikmalaya as the implementation team and the IPB University as the accompanying team. This activity started from September to December 2023 in Sukanagalih Village, Rajapolah District, Tasikmalaya Regency. The method for implementing this activity consists of counseling, training, and assistance to livestock groups. The target partners for this activity were Kelompok Megar Bebek Cihateup and the Berdikari Village-Owned Enterprise (Bumdes Berdikari) with a total of 20 participants each, so the total participants are 40 people. The level of community empowerment increased to 80 – 85% in the knowledge, skills, accessibility, and income categories. The results of this activity are very beneficial for the community, where the application of appropriate technology for processing mangosteen peel and turmeric as feed supplements can increase the added value and selling value of agro-industrial waste products in Tasikmalaya Regency. The application of appropriate technology for the use of supplement feed is able to increase the knowledge and skills of the community in Sukanagalih Village, Tasikmalaya Regency in processing feed supplements.

The Impact of Work Environment on Structural Empowerment among Nurses in Governmental Hospitals.

The work environment is considered an important factor for the success of any healthcare organization that keeps upstanding and can compete with others to achieve the organization and employee's goals. This study aims to examine the effect of the workplace environment on the structural empowerment of registered nurses in governmental hospitals. A cross-sectional, descriptive survey study. The sample consisted of 405 nurses from three Jordanian governmental hospitals. Data were collected using an online self-reported questionnaire that was distributed to the participants. The questionnaire included sections on demographic characteristics, the structural empowerment scale, and the work environment scale. Data collection took place between 1 January 2023 and 15 February 2023. The participants demonstrated various levels in their perceptions of the working environment. They demonstrated a moderate perception level toward stress and work pressure, role clarity, peer cohesive subscale, and for working environment scale while they reported a low perception level on ethical, autonomy, work practices, managerial support, commitment, and social responsibility subscales. However, the nurses' work environment overall score was found to be at a moderate level (3.15 out of 5 ± 0.61). Furthermore, their structural empowerment level was found to be at a moderate level (19.40 out of 30 ± 3.68). Highly empowered nurses' work environments display higher structural empowerment. Applying structural empowerment in work environments is very important to improve nurses' performance, ensure the highest level of patient care quality, and achieve organizational goals.

ENTREPRENEURIAL HUMAN CAPITAL ON THE EMPOWERMENT OF ASNAF ENTREPRENEURS PLANNING IN THE STATE OF SELANGOR

This article investigates the relationship between entrepreneurial human capital and empowerment among asnaf entrepreneurs in Selangor, Malaysia. Drawing on a quantitative research approach, data was collected through surveys to assess entrepreneurial human capital and empowerment levels. Results indicate moderate levels of entrepreneurial competency among asnaf entrepreneurs, with strengths in idea generation and resilience, yet areas for improvement in financial management. Empowerment scores reflect a moderate level of autonomy and proactive engagement in income generation activities. The correlation analysis reveals a positive and statistically significant relationship between entrepreneurial human capital and empowerment. Findings underscore the importance of entrepreneurial skills in fostering empowerment among asnaf entrepreneurs, highlighting the need for ongoing training and support initiatives to enhance their business capabilities and contribute to community development. The study recommends commencing with asset mapping to recognize the potential within marginalized communities, then proceeding with targeted capacity building to foster entrepreneurship-based empowerment, utilizing the identified potential as criteria for selecting asnaf individuals for entrepreneurial projects.

The Relationship between Empowerment and Income Level in Rural Families inSerang Regency and Pandeglang Regency, Banten Province

A family is said to be prosperous if it can meet its basic needs, namely food, clothing, housing, health and education. Indicators of family empowerment can be measured through household income derived from work activities. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the level of empowerment and the amount of income in rural families in Serang and Pandeglang districts. The quantitative research approach was used to obtain data from respondents using survey instruments on the level of empowerment and income level. The data analysis used is correlation analysis with the statistical formula produchmoment pearson. Based on the data obtained, there is a strong correlation of 0.795 between the level of family empowerment and the level of family income.

Role of women empowerment on mental health problems and care-seeking behavior among married women in Nepal: secondary analysis of nationally representative data

PurposeThis study investigates the associations between women empowerment and the prevalence of mental health symptoms and care-seeking behavior among ever-married Nepalese women aged 15–49 years.MethodsWe utilized 2022 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey data to measure women empowerment, employing the Survey-Based Women’s Empowerment (SWPER) index. The index focuses on the domains of social independence, decision-making, and attitudes towards violence. Symptoms of anxiety and depression were measured using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 scale (GAD-7) and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), respectively. Multiple logistic regression was performed to estimate adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for associations of women empowerment domains and mental health problems and care-seeking behavior.ResultsAmong 5556 women, the prevalence of symptoms of anxiety and depression was 23.1% and 6.1%, respectively. Among those with any symptoms of anxiety or depression, 18.3% sought care. Compared to women with low level of empowerment in the “social independence” domain, those with high level of empowerment were less likely to suffer from symptoms of anxiety (aOR = 0.68; 95%CI, 0.57–0.82) and depression (aOR = 0.69; 95%CI, 0.50–0.94). However, high empowerment in “decision-making” domain was associated with higher likelihood of anxiety (aOR = 1.67; 95%CI, 1.33–2.10) and depression (aOR = 1.80; 95%CI, 1.26–2.58). There was evidence of positive association between high empowerment in “decision-making” and care-seeking (aOR = 1.28; 95%CI, 0.96–1.71).ConclusionsThis study underscores important roles of women empowerment on mental health symptoms and care-seeking behavior, suggesting the need to integrate empowerment initiatives into strategies to promote mental health among women in Nepal and similar low- and middle-income settings.

John Crane South Africa achieves B-BBEE Level 3 contributor status

John Crane reports that its operations in South Africa have achieved Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) Level 3 contributor status following a successful partnership with Bunengi Group – a highly respected, well established and broadly diversified black-woman-owned enterprise, based in the Sandton Precinct in Johannesburg.

A Study on The Impact of Women’s Empowerment on Food Security: Based on The Perspective of Agricultural Production Diversity

This study analyzed the role of women's empowerment in diversifying households' diets through their production. Based on the survey data of 1185 rural households of Yunnan, Guizhou, Shaanxi, and Gansu provinces in 2021, this paper measured women's empowerment level from five dimensions: agricultural production, credit resources, income control, leadership, and time allocation. It targeted food safety and further analyzed the role of agricultural production diversity in the pathway of women's empowerment impact on households' food security. The estimation showed that improving women's empowerment enhances diet quality and increases agricultural production diversity. Meanwhile, agricultural production diversity was conducive to improving the food security level of households. After carrying out the mediation effect test, the paper found that agricultural diversity partially mediates the effect of women's empowerment on food security and a total mediation effect on women's empowerment and food security in the poor group. Furthermore, agricultural diversity could further promote households' food and nutrition security based on women's decision-making ability

Beyond the surface: understanding the mechanism between green HR practices and employees’ green creative behavior through mixed-methods exploration

PurposeMany studies have explored the relationship between green human resource management practices (GHRM) and employees’ green creative behavior (EGCB) within the hospitality industry. However, most prior studies have relied primarily on mono-method approaches, thereby limiting the depth of understanding about the underlying mechanism through which GHRM impacts employee behavior. The authors, in this paper, aim to argue that the connection between GHRM cannot be universal, and some individual factors will act as boundary conditions between these relationships. The authors employ a mixed-methods research design to address this gap to identify potential boundary conditions.Design/methodology/approachThe authors adopted a two-phase approach, integrating qualitative (study 1) and quantitative (study 2) methodologies. Through qualitative research, the authors uncover valuable insights and construct a framework that is subsequently tested in the quantitative phase.FindingsThe findings suggest that the strength of the GHRM-EGCB relationship is contingent on the level of Environmental Specific Psychological Empowerment (ESPE) among employees. Employees with a higher degree of ESPE exhibit a stronger connection between GHRM perceptions and EGCB. Furthermore, the authors identify employees’ altruistic values (EAV) as an important moderator, indicating that the intervening effect of ESPE on the GHRM-EGCB relationship is particularly pronounced among employees with high levels of altruism.Originality/valueBy unmasking the complexity through a mixed-methods design, this study contributes to the existing literature by providing a more nuanced understanding of the mechanism between GHRM and green creative behavior.

The Practicing Degree of Preparatory School Principals in the North District within the Green Line of Human Relations Skills and its Relationship to Teachers’ Empowerment

The study aimed to identify the relationship between the practicing degree of preparatory school principals in the North District within the Green Line of human relations skills and its relationship to empowering teachers from their point of view. The study used the descriptive correlational methodology; the questionnaires were used as tools of the study after verifying their validity and reliability. The study sample consisted of (387) teachers, who were chosen by the simple random method. The results showed that the degree of principals practicing human relations skills is high; the level of teacher empowerment is medium. The results also showed a correlation between the degree of practicing human relations skills and the level of teachers' empowerment. The study recommended enhancing principals' practice of human relations skills, and giving teachers greater opportunities in formulating school decisions, considering their interests, and solving their work issues.

Women's empowerment and its role in household food security to achieve SDGs: Empirical evidence from rural Bangladesh

AbstractWomen in developing countries are often characterized by lower social status, less input into decision‐making, lack of access to resources, and lower mobility, while their inclusion is vital to achieving household food security. This concept is recognized as important for attaining sustainable development goals (SDGs), including SDG‐5 (gender equality). This study investigated the level of women's empowerment (WE) and its determinants, household food security, and the connections between WE and food security in farming households in Bangladesh. Using primary data collected from 350 households and applying the modified project‐level WE in Agriculture Index, this study found that less than 1% of women were empowered. Poisson regression evidenced that women's years of schooling, household size, farm type, and having household members working away were positively associated with WE, while the farm's distance from home was negatively related. The Household Food Insecurity Access Scale revealed that only 18% of households were food secure. Partial least squares structural equation modeling showed that three domains of empowerment—access to decisions on financial services, input in agricultural decisions, and ownership of assets—were negatively associated with household food insecurity, while mobility was positively related. This study shows, a realistic policy is needed to achieve food security through empowering rural women to achieve SDGs in a timely manner.

Exploring the Role of Workplace Empowerment on Organizational Commitment of University Female Teaching Staff: Evidence from One Private University in Cambodia

This study was designed to explore the role of workplace empowerment on the organizational commitment of female teaching staff in the university by using the qualitative survey method. The sample of the study was selected by using a purposive sampling technique and it comprised of 10 female university teachers. Two interview protocols, one each for workplace empowerment and organizational commitment were used to collect the data and thematic analysis was applied to analyze the participants’ interview transcripts. The results of the present study assist the prior research that workplace empowerment is the main contributor of organizational commitment. The results showed that teachers have a very little level of workplace empowerment as a result they were committed to a personal level of interest rather than that of organizational support. The study suggested that institutions should create an environment to enhance the perceptions of empowerment among employees that will positively influence them and it will eventually increase the institution's effectiveness and commitment.

Evaluation of psychological distress, burnout and structural empowerment status of healthcare workers during the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19): a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study

BackgroundIn light of several recent studies, there is evidence that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused various mental health concerns in the general population, as well as among healthcare workers (HCWs). The main aim of this study was to assess the psychological distress, burnout and structural empowerment status of HCWs during the COVID-19 outbreak, and to evaluate its predictors.MethodsThis multi-center, cross-sectional web-based questionnaire survey was conducted on HCWs during the outbreak of COVID-19 from August 2020 to January 2021. HCWs working in hospitals from 48 different countries were invited to participate in an online anonymous survey that investigated sociodemographic data, psychological distress, burnout and structural empowerment (SE) based on Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale 21 (DASS-21), Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and Conditions for work effectiveness questionnaire (CWEQ_II), respectively. Predictors of the total scores of DASS-21, MBI and CWEQ-II were assessed using unadjusted and adjusted binary logistic regression analysis.ResultsOut of the 1030 HCWs enrolled in this survey, all completed the sociodemographic section (response rate 100%) A total of 730 (70.9%) HCWs completed the DASS-21 questionnaire, 852 (82.6%) completed the MBI questionnaire, and 712 (69.1%) completed the CWEQ-II questionnaire. The results indicate that 360 out of 730 responders (49.3%) reported severe or extremely severe levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. Additionally, 422 out of 851 responders (49.6%) reported a high level of burnout, while 268 out of 712 responders (37.6%) reported a high level of structural empowerment based on the DASS-21, MBI, and CWEQ-II scales, respectively. In addition, the analysis showed that HCWs working in the COVID-19 areas experienced significantly higher symptoms of severe stress, anxiety, depression and higher levels of burnout compared to those working in other areas. The results also revealed that direct work with COVID-19 patients, lower work experience, and high workload during the outbreak of COVID-19 increase the risks of negative psychological consequences.ConclusionHealth professionals had high levels of burnout and psychological symptoms during the COVID-19 emergency. Monitoring and timely treatment of these conditions is needed.

Women empowerment and childhood stunting: evidence from rural northwest Ethiopia

BackgroundWomen are often the primary caregivers of children, and as such, their empowerment could influence the nutritional status of their children. However, the role of maternal empowerment on the nutritional status of children in Ethiopia is largely unknown.AimTo determine the association of women’s empowerment with childhood stunting in rural northwest Ethiopia.MethodsA community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 582 mothers with children aged 6–59 months. A multistage sampling technique was used to select the study participants. Binomial logistic regression analyses were used to assess whether women’s empowerment (categorized as low, moderate and high) and its five dimensions (household decision-making, educational status, cash earnings, house/land ownership, and membership in community groups) were associated with stunting in children. Odds ratios with 95% CI were estimated, and statistical significance was declared at a p-value of < 0.05.ResultsA total of 114 (19.6%), 312 (53.6%), and 156 (26.8%) participants had low, moderate, and high empowerment levels, respectively. In addition, 255 (43.8%) mothers had children who were stunted (too short for their age). In the adjusted models, mothers with moderate empowerment (AOR 0.60, 95% CI: 0.35, 0.97) and high empowerment (AOR 0.56, 95% CI: 0.37, 0.86) had lower odds of having stunted children compared to mothers with low empowerment. Mothers who had a secondary education or higher (AOR 0.57, 95% CI: 0.35, 0.93), owned a house or land (AOR 0.64, 95% CI: 0.44, 0.94) and were members of community groups (AOR 0.54, 95% CI: 0.36, 0.80) were less likely to have stunted children.ConclusionHigh women empowerment was significantly associated with a lower likelihood of childhood stunting. The findings suggest a need to look beyond the direct causes of stunting and incorporate targeted strategies for empowering women into child nutrition programs.

Platform financing or bank financing in agricultural supply chains: The impact of platform digital empowerment

Agricultural supply chains face multiple challenges, including fund shortages and the need for planting technology improvement. With the development of the platform economy, powerful platforms can address these challenges by providing farmers with digital technology empowerment and loan services. This study considers a two-echelon supply chain consisting of a platform and a farmer with yield uncertainty. We establish game-theoretic models with and without platform digital empowerment under bank financing and platform financing. Our main findings are as follow. First, the farmer benefits from empowerment when it reduces or slightly increases the farmer’s cost coefficient of planting technology application. Interestingly, there is a possibility that when the cost coefficient of empowerment is too low, the farmer is less likely to benefit from empowerment The platform will always benefit after the farmer accepts the empowerment. Second, if the bankruptcy risk and platform loan interest rate are low (high), both will choose platform (bank) financing. The platform is more willing to provide loan services to the farmer when the platform loan interest rate is low. Furthermore, platform financing can improve the platform digital empowerment level. The empowerment level increases with the bank loan interest rate, whereas it first decreases then increases with the platform loan interest rate. Third, under bank financing, cost-sharing contracts where one firm shares the other’s costs can achieve Pareto improvement. However, under platform financing, only when the platform shares the farmer’s cost can the supply chain achieve Pareto improvement.

EMPOWERMENT LEVEL AMONG RURAL WOMEN OF SINDH: A SOCIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS

Women empowerment is an important factor in the growth of any country. It means equal social standing of women to their male counterparts in any society. However, even today, in the 21st century, women’s empowerment is a global issue and is prevalent in most societies, particularly in patriarchal societies. Since Pakistan is a patriarchal society, women in Pakistan are subjected to marginalization and social exclusion, especially in rural areas. This research work studied the complex nature of socio-economic factors and cultural norms that affect the empowerment level of rural women in Sindh, Pakistan, and what interventions can be implemented to improve their social, economic, psychological conditions, and political participation as well as decision-making power with an aim to achieve the following objectives: i) to study the socio-economic background of rural women; ii) to determine the social empowerment levels of rural women; iii) to determine the psychological empowerment; iv) to determine the economic empowerment levels; and v) to determine the political empowerment levels among the rural women of Sindh, province of Pakistan. The present study was conducted using a quantitative survey methodology with a close ended five-point Likert scale questionnaire focusing rural women of Sindh. The research questionnaire consisted of indicators related to socio-economic status, cultural norms, and empowerment level of rural women. The surveyed data was then analyzed using IBM SPSS software. Results drawn under the study inferred that the rural women of Sindh remain highly unempowered socially, psychologically, economically as well as politically with a weak socio-economic background. The study further recommends strong policymaking along with the introduction of various schemes in support of gender security by provincial and federal governments and strict measures taken for the implementation of policies.

Women Empowerment in West Bengal: Issues and Challenges - An Ethnographic Study

Preamble: This research paper exhibits an exclusive picture of ethnography and the detailed elaborative description of different aspects of empowerment of women through self-help groups in West Bengal. Objectives: This research work was confined to twelve selected SHGs from two villages of North 24-parganas, West Bengal. From January 2013 to January 2015, she collected enormous level of information of eighty (80) selected women from twelve self-help groups. Main aims and objectives of the present research is to measure the empowerment of women through the parameters of SHGs as prevalent among the rural women of West Bengal. Methods: Case-studies is one of the most important methods of ethnography. Here, the ethnographer depicts some significant cases of empowerment of women of respective self-help groups through the help of some ethnographic methods like participant observation, in-depth interview and obviously case study. Findings: Pictures of different levels of empowerment i.e., Economic, Social and Political is seen in this ethnographic account. In North 24-pargana district, Shibdaspur Gram Panchayet consists basically maximum number of Muslim SHG members. For this reason, rate of Political Empowerment among SHG women is very low in those areas. But, the result of Economic Empowerment as well as Social Empowerment is satisfactory

Women’s Empowerment, Region of Residence, and Contraception among Women in India

Abstract: Despite actions taken by the Indian government to improve national, regional, and village-level sexual and reproductive health, 49 million women still have unmet contraceptive needs. Yet, when granted access, women disproportionately elect for irreversible methods such that India has the highest female sterilization rate in the world. Building on these insights, the present study examines associations between women’s empowerment (e.g., cooking, shopping, and family-planning autonomy), region (e.g., Hills, North, and East), and use of contraception (i.e., any and type). Data for this study comes from ever-married, reproductive aged women in the 2005 and 2012 waves of the India Human Development Survey (n=38,634). Results from multilevel logistic models showed that higher levels of women’s empowerment are associated with greater probability of using contraception, and after disaggregation, relying on female sterilization. Furthermore, region of residence modifies associations such that women residing in the North Central and North are typically less likely to utilize contraception. Across empowerment levels, residents of the West and South consistently have higher levels of contraceptive use. This study highlights the importance of women’s empowerment for contraception as well as regional differences in reproductive healthcare access, views of contraception, and long-term impacts of fertility planning programs.