Empowerment Measure Research Articles

Unravelling the Factors of Acceptance of Violence in Marriage by Women: Insights on Deficit of Reporting Cases of Domestic Violence in Empowered Action Group (EAG) and States of South India

Globally, 30% women, in a relationship, have been experiencing both physical and sexual violence by their intimate partners, particularly in the South-East Asian region. The grave reality of violence in marriage is the acceptance and justification of wife beating by women themselves. Recent cross-sectional studies have pointed out that a woman’s acceptance of wife abuse is related to her actual experience of being a victim, such that the victims of violence are perhaps more likely to justify the behaviour. This study analyses the role, if any, played by measures of women’s autonomy, access and freedom in impacting the acceptance of wife beating in marriage by women. This is undertaken in the background of different levels of human development attained in different groups of states in India. Two groups of states are identified: (a) one group of states represented by states of South India—scoring above national average figures in all parameters of human development including measures of gender empowerment. (b) Second group of states represented by the Empowered Action Group states—scoring lower than national average figures in all parameters of human development, including measures of gender empowerment. Indicators selected related to women’s access to microcredit, freedom of movement, ownership of assets, employment status and literacy levels. In addition, the proportion of households in a state in the lowest quintile also was selected as a factor of wealth. This study further analyses the role that acceptance of violence in marriage by women plays in explaining the deficit in reporting cases of domestic violence in the selected group of states.

Face and content validity of the EMPOWER-UP questionnaire: a generic measure of empowerment in relational decision-making and problem-solving

BackgroundDecision-making and problem-solving processes are powerful activities occurring daily across all healthcare settings. Their empowering potential is seldom fully exploited, and they may even be perceived as disempowering. We developed the EMPOWER-UP questionnaire to enable assessment of healthcare users’ perception of empowerment across health conditions, healthcare settings, and healthcare providers’ professional backgrounds. This article reports the initial development of EMPOWER-UP, including face and content validation.MethodsFour grounded theories explaining barriers and enablers to empowerment in relational decision-making and problem-solving were reviewed to generate a preliminary item pool, which was subsequently reduced using constant comparison. Preliminary items were evaluated for face and content validity using an expert panel of seven researchers and cognitive interviews in Danish and English with 29 adults diagnosed with diabetes, cancer, or schizophrenia.ResultsA preliminary pool of 139 items was reduced to 46. Independent feedback from expert panel members resulted in further item reduction and modifications supporting content validity and strengthening the potential for generic use. Forty-one preliminary items were evaluated through 29 cognitive interviews, resulting in a 36-item draft questionnaire deemed to have good face and content validity and generic potential.ConclusionsFace and content validation using an expert panel and cognitive interviews resulted in a 36-item draft questionnaire with a potential for evaluating empowerment in user-provider interactions regardless of health conditions, healthcare settings, and healthcare providers’ professional backgrounds.

Pig farming and the quest for decent work and economic growth: Evidences from Buffalo city

This study delves into the role of pig farming in advancing Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8—Decent work and economic growth in Buffalo City, Eastern Cape. The absence of meaningful employment opportunities and genuine economic progress has remained a significant economic obstacle in South Africa for an extended period. Through a mixed-method approach, the study examines the transformative impact of pig farming as an economic avenue in achieving SDG 8. Through interviews and questionnaires with employed individuals engaged in pig farming in Buffalo City, the study further examines pig farming’s vital role as a source of decent work and economic growth. The study reveals inadequate government support and empowerment for pig farming in Buffalo City despite pig farming’s resilience and potential in mitigating socio-economic vulnerabilities and supporting community’s livelihoods. To enhance pig farming initiatives, this study recommends government’s prioritization of an enabling environment and empowerment measures for the thriving of pig farming in Buffalo City. By facilitating supportive policies and infrastructures, the government can empower locals in Buffalo City to leverage pig farming’s potential in achieving SDG 8.

Roles of financial literacy and entrepreneurial orientation in economic empowerment of rural women entrepreneurs

ABSTRACT Policy makers, particularly in developing countries, view entrepreneurship as a stepping stone for achieving women’s economic empowerment. However, simply attaching women to the labour market and providing them access to financial resources may not transform their economic well-being unless it is accompanied by agencies such as financial literacy and entrepreneurial orientation. In this context, we empirically test the seminal theoretical framework of Kabeer (1999) for understanding women empowerment, using primary data for 820 Indian rural women entrepreneurs. Employing alternate empirical specifications and using instrumental variable regression to address the potential endogeneity of financial literacy, we find that financial literacy and entrepreneurial orientation play important roles in enhancing financial well-being, our measure of economic empowerment. The results hold even after controlling for the experience of the entrepreneur, family support and strength of social network. The findings call for designing interventions to foster financial literacy among poor women entrepreneurs.

Effort to gender equality in Indonesia, compared on ASEAN

This study aims to determine the extent of gender inequality in human resource development in Indonesia against Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). This research using secondary data from various relevant sources. There are five dimensions that and are important for measuring gender equality, namely economic participation, economic opportunities, political empowerment, educational attainment, and health and welfare. The assessment was carried out on Indonesia and other countries in Southeast Asia. The results of the study show that Indonesia has the lowest gender development index (GDI) score compared to the average in ASEAN. Then, gender empowerment measure (GEM) Indonesia increased slowly. The most striking gap is in the income dimension, where men’s income far exceeds women’s income. This happens because women work less than men because women are more traditional in domestic roles in Indonesia, where women are prioritized in managing the household. However, for political indicators, there has been an increase in the number of women in parliament, but the target has not yet reached 30 percent of the total number of women in parliament. This situation shows that there is a reduction in the gender gap in the economy and politics. But the number is still too small, it is necessary to increase the equally distributed equivalent percentage (EDEP) for the Economic Participation Index, Parliamentary Representation Index and Income Index.

Rural electrification and women empowerment: Do bargaining game approaches with real household items reduce the bias?

In this study, we examine the impact of rural electrification on women empowerment. Previous studies have examined this relationship mainly using self-reported measures of empowerment, and experimental approaches . We conduct an incentive-compatible framed field experiment in a natural household setting. We modify the public goods game by introducing a trade-off between real household items and cash in three scenarios: a woman-only case, a man-only case, and a joint decision case. We then construct a women empowerment index ranging between 0 and 1. A joint decision closer to 1 indicates greater bargaining power for the wife, while a joint decision closer to 0 indicates greater bargaining power for the husband. We then apply propensity score matching to address potential selection bias. We find households in rural electrification villages, to have higher women empowerment index.

The Relationship between Administrative Empowerment of School Principals and Teachers' Job Performance in the South Al Batinah Governorate of the Sultanate of Oman

Abstract Abstract: This study aimed to determine the level of administrative empowerment of school principals and its relationship with teachers' job performance in the South Al Batinah Governorate of the Sultanate of Oman. The study employed a descriptive correlational approach, and the researchers developed a questionnaire to gather the information. The questionnaire was administered to a sample of 86 principals in the South Al Batinah Governorate. The study reached several findings, among which is that the level of administrative empowerment for school principals was generally high, and likewise, the level of professional performance for teachers was high. Furthermore, it found a positive correlation between the empowerment of School principals and the job performance of teachers. The study recommended increasing attention to the development of practical scientific measures for the administrative empowerment of school principals and the development of measures to assess the level of teachers' job performance, as well as conducting further studies in this field.

Empowerment Among Adolescent Girls in Nepal: A Concept Mapping Exploratory Study.

The concept of empowerment is challenging to operationalize and measure; it is multidimensional, the outcomes are not always directly observable, and meanings of empowerment are highly contextual and socially and culturally situated. This study aimed to explore perspectives of empowerment among adolescent girls in Nepal to identify statements for inclusion in a context-specific empowerment measure. We used a participatory and mixed method research method called concept mapping in 3 districts in Nepal. Three sequential concept mapping sessions were used to solicit, organize, and process how participants responded to the prompt: "The life of an adolescent girl improves when she has/can…" The Concept Systems Global software was used to manage and analyze the concept mapping brainstorming, sorting, and rating data using established tools, such as multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis. Concept mapping was conducted with 113 participants, including national experts, program staff, adolescents, and their mothers. They identified 105 items that fall into a 4-cluster solution: education and knowledge, decision-making, supports and skills, and physical infrastructure. Rating data uncovered there was some overlap between the top 10 most important items between the national-level experts and other stakeholder groups; however, several components associated with empowerment differed by stakeholder group in terms of importance. This research represents a critical step in exploring definitions of empowerment among adolescent girls in the Nepal context and with expert input. These results led to the development of a contextually specific definition of empowerment. Researchers and practitioners interested in developing context-specific understandings of complex topics that incorporate community voices and perspectives could use a similar concept mapping approach in other countries to explore various topics with diverse populations.

The EMERGE framework to measure empowerment for health and development

RationaleWomen's empowerment is a UN Sustainable Development Goal and a focus of global health and development but survey measures and data on gender empowerment remain weak. Existing indicators are often disconnected from theory; stronger operationalization is needed. ObjectiveWe present the EMERGE Framework to Measure Empowerment, a framework to strengthen empowerment measures for global health and development. MethodWe initiated development of this framework in 2016 as part of EMERGE – an initiative designed to build the science of survey research and availability of high-quality survey measures and data on gender empowerment. The framework is guided by existing theories of empowerment, evidence, and expert input. We apply this framework to understand women's empowerment in family planning (FP) via review of state of the field measures. ResultsOur framework offers concrete measurable constructs to assess critical consciousness and choice, agency and backlash, and goal achievement as the empowerment process, recognizing its operation at multiple levels-from the individual to the collective. Internal attributes, social norms, and external contexts and resources create facilitators or barriers to the empowerment process. Review of best evidence FP measures assessing empowerment constructs, social norms, and key influencers (e.g., partners and providers) show a strong landscape of measures, including those with women, partners, and providers, but they are limited in assessing translation of choice to agency to achievement of women's self-determined fertility or contraceptive goals, instead relying on assumption of contraceptive use as the goal. We see no measures on collective empowerment toward women's reproductive choice and rights. ConclusionThe EMERGE Framework can guide development and analysis of survey measures on empowerment and is needed as the current state of the field shows limited coverage of empowerment constructs even in areas which have received more study, such as family planning.

Strategy of Empowering Maritime Defense Areas to Increase the Income of Fisherman Communities and Awareness of National Defense in Banyuasin Regency, South Sumatra (Study at Palembang Naval Base)

Republic of Indonesia Law No.34 of 2004 regulating the Indonesian National Armed Forces Navy Duties in Article 9 Paragraph (e); Implementing the Empowerment of the Maritime Defense Area. The implementation of maritime defense area empowerment is the empowerment of coastal communities through Maritime Potential Development, which is implemented by Main Naval Bases III/JKT, in this case, Palembang Naval Base in Banyuasin district, South Sumatra, which is represented by the coastal area of Sungsan I-IV village, Banyuasin II subdistrict. From the perspective of the Indonesian National Armed Forces, the goal is to carry out the primary mission of the Indonesian Navy, which is to raise awareness of national defense. The main objective of this research is to investigate the strategy for empowering maritime defense areas by Main Naval Base III/JKT, specifically Palembang Naval Base, in terms of increasing coastal communities' economic income and awareness of national defense in Banyuasin district, South Sumatra. The findings of this research reveal that there is no coastal community/fishermen empowerment program in Banyuasin district, South Sumatra that is planned, measurable, and sustainable. According to Chamber, community empowerment is an economic development concept that encompasses social values. This notion reflects a new "people-centered" development paradigm that is participatory and sustainable. The concept of empowerment encompasses more than merely meeting fundamental needs or providing a mechanism to prevent future impoverishment. Conclusion: Coastal community empowerment measures intended to increase fishing communities' earnings along with comprehension of National Defense in Banyuasin Regency, South Sumatra, have not been planned.

Governing communal diversity as good governance

AbstractThis study asks whether existing standards of good governance have incorporated ideals and measures to manage communal diversity. The context is an intellectual landscape in which the efficacy of heterogeneity policies has typically been compared through their impact on the likelihood of violent conflict. Alternate approaches would fine‐tune the outcome variable and/or enlist new independent variables. The Ethnic Power Relations project provided measures of the groups' co‐determination position (egip, excl) and measures of empowerment through self‐governing start to follow suit, such as improved indicators of territorial autonomies, decentralization, and language use rights. We also crafted a measure of functional autonomies, based on the ENTA Network's case‐study collection. With the exception of territorial autonomies, all existing measures of policies that accommodate the difference tend to improve the group's relationships with other groups and with the country as a whole. They also correlate well with the general good governance indicators.

Social capital of families of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities in South India.

To investigate the social capital of families with children with neurodevelopmental disabilities in South India receiving a community-based early intervention (Enabling Inclusion®) program and to explore determinants and associations between social capital and program duration, socio-demographic factors, family empowerment, and caregiver burden. Using purposive sampling in a cross-sectional study design, 217 families (n = 71 received short Enabling Inclusion [<5 months]; n = 146 received long Enabling Inclusion [>9 months]) were recruited and completed the Short Adapted Social Capital Tool (SASCAT: cognitive, structural), measures of family empowerment, and caregiver strain. Descriptive statistics, regression, and correlations were used for analyses. In 52.1% of participants, low cognitive and structural social capital was observed. Higher odds of low structural social capital were observed for mothers with primary versus secondary education (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 0.35; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.13-0.90; p = 0.029); and caregivers of children with cerebral palsy versus autism (OR = 4.66; 95% CI 1.02-21.21; p = 0.046). Significant associations were found between structural social capital, the child's age, and support group membership (χ2 = 6.29; 4.70; degrees of freedom [df] = 2; 1; p = 0.04; p = 0.02 respectively), as well as between cognitive social capital and other disability in the family (χ2 = 4.62, df = 1, p = 0.03). While program duration was not found to mediate social capital, mother's education and child's diagnosis emerged as key influential factors, warranting their consideration in interventions supporting families of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities in low- and-middle-income countries and elsewhere.

Ascendancy of Mass Media in Achieving Gender Equality

For centuries, marginalisation has affected the niches and nooks of the world on a different level. Identities like caste, creed, religion, language, race and gender have been practiced with a hierarchy and hegemony. Women are one of the largest marginalized communities along with LGBTQIA+. OTT platform plays a crucial role in displaying voices from the margins in order to showcase socio-cultural inequality and inhumanity. The present paper deals with the Indian patriarchal mindset that refuses to accept women as a major contributor and creator of society. Accepting all weak gender identities as a part of the main stream is almost like mission impossible. Desmond Tutu’s ‘rainbow colour society’ is a far reaching-goal in India. Thanks to social media of the 21st century for transmitting these minority voices to the public’s attention and awareness. The media of the 21st century has aided a lot in conditioning society’s mindset into accepting an egalitarian society. The present paper deals with marginalized married Indian women’s voices from a film called The Great Indian Kitchen on OTT and a television series based on Manju Kapoor’s novel Married Woman and Jhumpa Lahiri’s novel, Namesake. The house wives have been portrayed as searching for identities and are rebellious against the stereotypical roles. The issues of identities of the women protagonists have been powerfully depicted through these channels. The research is based upon qualitative and quantitative data analysis with statistical evidence wherever necessary. The paper is divided into four parts, namely the role of media in the 21st century, issues of identities as a theoretical background, application of the identity issues of Ashima , protagonist of book , Namesake Nimisha, the protagonist, in the film The Great Indian Kitchen and in the tele-series The Married Woman and last but not the least conclusions. This is a study and critique to highlight how the media aids in re-conceptualization of societal norms and traditions for the queer and female community to gain their self-esteem and dignity with special reference to GEM (Gender Empowerment Measure).

The Complexity of Female Empowerment in India

On a global scale, India ranks very poorly in terms of gender equality. This overall indicator masks important heterogeneities across the separate measures of female empowerment. India scores very highly with regards to equality of civil liberties and the political participation of women. But the country falls well below the global average with respect to equal access to economic resources and protection from gender-based violence. These poorer empowerment indicators have persisted not only in the wake of strong economic progress, but also in the context of an impressive set of government led reforms and policies targeting women. These different initiatives have successfully augmented women’s agency in both the private and public spheres of life, but women and girls still face extreme discrimination and violence. The salience of restrictive local customs appears to be a core hindrance towards transformative change. This paper reviews the economics literature which examines this complexity across the different dimensions of female empowerment in India. It highlights the newly emerging research focused on ameliorating gender biased norms and discusses potential steps forward. JEL Classifications: J12, J16

Emic definitions of empowerment for just development: learnings from Kenya

This mixed-methods study examines how men and women of different ages engaged in agriculture in Kilifi and Kiambu counties in Kenya define empowerment and describe empowerment pathways, and how empowered people are perceived by their families and communities. It also examines how emic understandings of empowerment—definitions which originate from within a given cultural context—compare to quantitative empowerment measures based on externally defined indicators from the Project-level Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (pro-WEAI). The study design used mixed methods, with qualitative data collected through focus group discussions, life histories, and community profiles, and quantitative data collected through the pro-WEAI survey tool. Although Pro-WEAI results indicated that women and men in the study communities have achieved gender parity and experience a similar level of empowerment, qualitative findings suggest that experiences of empowerment don’t necessarily fit with Index scores. Rather, conceptualizations of empowerment by people of different ages and genders are highly diverse. Participants of all genders suggested that women’s empowerment is more limited than men’s, as women who are not. Subordinate to men risk being rejected or stigmatized by their communities. Qualitative findings suggest that empowered men are seen as “desirable” by their communities, whereas empowered women are “openly admired” and “treated as a threat/feared” in equal turn. Furthermore, results revealed that the under-involvement of men in empowerment initiatives has contributed to feelings of resentment and neglect. These findings suggest that capturing and accounting for multiple and diverse emic definitions of empowerment for different social groups, which lies beyond the scope of standardized quantitative measures, is essential to measuring and supporting empowerment in ways that are valuable and recognizable to the target group(s) of a given development initiative. Finally, results show that to support the effective empowerment of women and men, there is a need to include men, integrate safeguards for backlash against empowered women, and transform norms that hinder the acceptance of empowered women by their families and communities.

Tailoring Full STEAM Ahead Empowerment: Creative Coding for 21st Century Girls

INTRODUCTION: This paper provides a comprehensive examination of the Creative Coding project’s impact on female empowerment.OBJECTIVES: The project addresses the gender disparity in STEAM fields by integrating coding and art for girls aged 10-15, using the Strudel tool that combines real-time live coding and music composition.METHODS: Through observation and interviews with the girls who participated and performed at the end of the Creative Coding project, but also with those who dropped out, we cast a deep look into the positive and negative parameters to tailor concrete measures for every girl empowerment - not only super achievers. We collaborated with teachers and female mentors from the Computer Science and Engineering Department as relatable role models, to support feelings of belonging and spark curiosity. Using the new user-friendly Strudel tool that supports the integration of art, music, and audio-visual elements, we aimed at an engaging learning experience. To tailor new actions and increase attrition we used a mess map for analysis of the wicked problem of dropouts. Finally, collaboration among the girls and peer learning were expected as by-product effects.RESULTS: Positive outcomes include increased interest, self-confidence, creativity, and aspirations in STEAM subjects among the girls. However, a more comprehensive and supportive environment is recognized as necessary to engage a broader group of girls in STEAM activities. The findings highlight the importance of cultivating curiosity, providing mentorship, promoting inclusivity and collaboration, and integrating creativity in education to inspire and empower girls in coding and STEAM disciplines.CONCLUSION: The paper concludes by emphasizing the potential of Creative Coding practices and the audio-visual perception of music to enhance girls’ empowerment, creativity, and interest in coding and STEAM fields.

How does empowering men affect intimate partner violence? Evidence from Bangladesh

This paper investigates the relationship between women's and men's empowerment and intimate partner violence (IPV). To do so, it uses a sample of 4548 households with a husband and a wife who are present in two or three rounds of the Bangladesh Integrated Household Survey (BIHS). Measures of empowerment are constructed separately and symmetrically for husbands and wives. Conditional fixed-effects logistic regressions are employed to examine the statistical association between measures of empowerment and intimate partner violence. Findings indicate that IPV is widespread in rural Bangladesh, as 67.6% and 22.4% of households report experiencing verbal and physical IPV, respectively, in at least one round. Husbands tend to be more empowered than their wives in most, but not all, dimensions. Yet, even in dimensions of empowerment dominated by men on average, the percentage of households in which individual wives are more empowered than their husbands is notable. In regressions, some measures of men's empowerment (e.g., ownership of assets) are negatively associated with verbal and any IPV. Some measures of women's empowerment (e.g., community influence) are associated with verbal, physical, and any IPV, but the signs are mixed. All in all, the findings suggest that men's empowerment may be a determinant of intimate partner violence in rural Bangladesh, and they also underscore the need to extend theories of empowerment.

Empowering women through microcredit in Djibouti

AbstractIn this study, we construct original measures of women's empowerment in economic, social, and interpersonal dimensions to estimate the effect of microcredit on women's empowerment in Djibouti. Using survey data covering 2060 Djiboutian households, we examine the extent to which access to microcredit, the amount of loans obtained, and their duration modify women's status at home. We employ an instrumental variables strategy and develop three instruments: (i) household's membership of a saving and credit cooperative, (ii) the availability of formal banks at the village or community level, and (iii) the availability of formal cooperatives at the village or community level. We find that microcredit has positive and significant effects on women's autonomy, but these effects become significantly negative as the number of loans taken out increases and as the length of time spent in the program rises. Women from households with access to micro‐loans are respectively 45.0%, 41.4%, and 15.7% more likely to be economically, socially, and interpersonally empowered. The results of the study are robust across specifications and econometric techniques employed and confirm the generally mixed socioeconomic effects of microcredit programs.

Women's voices and meanings of empowerment for reproductive decisions: a qualitative study in Mozambique

BackgroundWomen in Mozambique are often disempowered when it comes to making decisions concerning their lives, including their bodies and reproductive options. This study aimed to explore the views of women in Mozambique about key elements of empowerment for reproductive decisions and the meanings they attach to these elements.MethodsQualitative in-depth interviews were undertaken with 64 women of reproductive age (18–49 years) in two provinces in Mozambique. Participants were recruited through convenience sampling. Data collection took place between February and March 2020 in Maputo city and Province, and during August 2020 in Nampula Province. A thematic analysis was performed.ResultsWomen described crucial elements of how power is exerted for reproductive choices. These choices include the ability to plan the number and timing of pregnancies and the ability either to negotiate with sexual partners by voicing choice and influencing decisions, or to exercise their right to make decisions independently. They considered that women with empowerment had characteristics such as independence, active participation and being free. These characteristics are recognized key enablers for the process of women’s empowerment.ConclusionsThis study’s findings contribute to an expanded conceptualization and operationalization of women’s sexual and reproductive empowerment by unveiling key elements that need to be considered in future research and approaches to women’s empowerment. Furthermore, it gave women the central role and voice in the research of empowerment's conceptualization and measurement where women’s views and meanings are seldom considered.

Kadınların Güçlendirilmesi ve Göç Etme Niyeti Üzerine Hanehalkı Düzeyinde Bir Araştırma: Afganistan Örneği

This study investigates the relationship between two important concerns, which are migration intentions of households and women empowerment in the case of Afghanistan where migration is a process that continues from its history to the present, and international indicators shows a quite bad picture on women empowerment or gender equality. It is obvious that women in this country presents a great vulnerability and they need to be empowered. However, it is not that obvious whether their empowerment is associated with migration intention of households. Therefore, this paper questions how and in which way the empowerment of women as a vulnerable group within different segments of Afghan society influence migration intention of households. Findings show that women empowerment measures, that are Women_leader, Women_support, Women_job, and Girls_edu, do not significantly influence migration intentions of households when they exist separately. However, it significantly influence migration intentions when they are allowed to interact together. It might be said that empowerment of women from political, social, and economic aspects that are presented by four of abovementioned measures is important to explain potential movements of population. Besides, there is significant regional differences to explain migration intentions. These findings are expected to be useful for policy makers on migration policies.