Women's Agency Research Articles

Women's Experiences of Sexual Agency Under Constrained Choice: A Systematic Review

In Western societies, women are encouraged to present themselves in sexualized ways and are expected to experience this as a form of sexual agency. However, research on women's sexual agency is new and still developing, leading to inconsistent definitions and understandings. In addition, women's experiences of and resistance to violations of their sexual boundaries are frequently overlooked. The current systematic review answers research questions on how sexual agency has been conceptualized, how it has been studied in relation to sexual violence, and how women's social positionality influences sexual agency. A systematic strategy was used to search 10 health and social science databases and analyze 95 full-text articles. A feminist social constructionist framework guided this mixed-methods synthesis and provided a framework for addressing the research questions. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of how society and researchers understand women's sexual agency and how intersectionality is largely ignored. Findings also identify an urgent need for future research to consider the relations between violence against women and women's perceptions of (or lack of) sexual agency. Future policymakers, researchers, and educators should move away from a one-size-fits-all approach in their work and instead, consider the diverse impact of societal expectations on women. By doing so, we can develop policies and programming that are specifically tailored to address the unique needs and challenges faced by women in society.

Navigating Dating Violence: An Intersectional Analysis of Agency Among Young Iranian Immigrant Women

Women's agency in resisting violence and control within intimate relationships manifests in diverse forms, shaped by various social divisions and the socio-cultural contexts in which gender relations evolve. This research explores first-generation young Iranian immigrant women's responses to violence and control within their dating relationships in Canada. Employing an intersectional analysis, it delves into the multifaceted agency demonstrated by these women when confronting dating violence (DV). By contextualizing their agency within Collins's matrix of oppression, the study unveils how systems of oppression interlock to shape their agency. The findings underscored the substantial agency displayed by young women in asserting their self-determination and self-definition. This was evident in their ability to recognize the aggressor's controlling behaviors within their relationships and their outspoken critique of the deeply entrenched patriarchal and gendered norms prevailing in the dominant discourse within the Iranian community. The results underscore the pressing need for culturally sensitive interventions and education programs that move beyond mere DV awareness.

Examining meaning-making and decolonial resistance in Pakistani women's stories of navigating coloniality and gender

Although Pakistan attained independence from the British colonial rule in 1947, the effects of colonial violence endure in the psychosocial realities of Pakistani people. Centering the stories about coloniality of two women leaders working in nongovernmental organizations, this article examines how psychological processes of meaning-making and decolonial resistance manifest in women's engagement with (de)coloniality in Lahore, Pakistan. I draw from transnational and decolonial feminisms and critical psychologies to highlight how two women's contextually shaped realities reflect colonial legacies interlaced with local and global inequities, and to document the ways women construe and resist coloniality-driven gender injustices. Using thematic narrative analysis, findings show that these women make sense of and resist coloniality through an intersectional approach, historical counter-narratives, and reimagination. The article discusses how context-specific decolonial strategies demonstrate women's agency and resistance within transnational feminist praxis, contributing to pluralistic and justice-enhancing approaches. The findings contribute to decolonizing psychological research by documenting Pakistani women's psychological processes and advancing non-Eurocentric knowledge and practices.

Application of the integrated gateway model on child nutrition behaviors in Niger: An exploratory analysis.

To identify potential gateway factors and behaviors that are associated with infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices in the Maradi and Zinder regions of Niger through application of the Integrated Gateway Model. We analyzed data from 2,727 married women of reproductive age including details on child feeding practices for their 2,551 children between the ages of 0 to 23 months. We assessed the association of three gateway behaviors (i.e., any antenatal care, facility delivery, and communication on nutrition practices) and gateway factors (i.e., behavioral determinants, exposure to information, decision-making agency, and woman's group participation) on four IYCF practices (i.e., early initiation of breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding, minimum meal frequency, and minimum dietary diversity) while controlling for age, parity, educational attainment, and household wealth. We found antenatal care was associated with exclusive breastfeeding of children 0-5 months [adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 1.17 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03-1.33)], and minimum meal frequency of children 6-23 months [aOR: 1.10 (95% CI: 1.03-1.17)], and facility delivery was associated with early initiation of breastfeeding among children 0-5 months [aOR: 2.08 (95% CI: 1.39-3.12)]. We found negative associations with exclusive breastfeeding and communication on nutrition practices with husbands, family/friends, and health workers. Exposure to nutrition messages through radio, women's groups participation, and with health workers was positively associated with minimum dietary diversity. Self-efficacy was positively associated with both early initiation of breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding among children 0-5 months and minimum dietary diversity among children 6-23 months. Women's agency was positively associated with early initiation of breastfeeding. The association of antenatal care and facility delivery with child nutrition outcomes suggest intervening before a woman becomes pregnant or early in her pregnancy could improve nutrition outcomes. Programs strengthening the continuum of care should identify gateway behaviors to maximize adoption of priority health behaviors.

A Comparative Feminist Study of Subalterns in Adichie's Americanah and Darzink's Song of a Captive Bird

The present study explores the issues of oppression and gender identity in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Americanah and Jasmin Darznik's Song of a Captive Bird. This study examines Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak's subaltern theory that views how women suffer from oppression and gender identity in a patriarchal society. The postcolonial feminist research method is employed in the study to analyze how the two female authors present the struggle of women living in patriarchal cultures. From different views, this study uses close textual analysis to examine the narratives of Ifemelu and Farrokhzad and their respective struggle with societal expectations about gender roles. The findings of the study indicate that both authors address the issue of oppression and gender identity through their respective narratives. The authors' works show how gender norms and expectations limit women's opportunities and agency in Nigerian and Iranian societies. This study also highlights how patriarchal culture contributes to the anguish of Nigerian and Iranian women, creating additional barriers to their empowerment and fulfilment. This study concludes that the works of both female writers provide valuable insights into the struggle of women living in patriarchal societies and call for a re-examination of gender roles and societal expectations to promote gender equality and empowerment.

Economic impact of peste des petits ruminants on small ruminant production in Senegal: Gender considerations within a system dynamics modelling approach

CONTEXTPeste des petits ruminants (PPR) remains a persistent challenge for small ruminant production in Senegal, leading to economic losses for livestock keepers. Gender dynamics and socio-cultural factors influence production decisions at the household level. Despite its relevance, economic impact models of PPR have not incorporated gender dynamics. OBJECTIVEThis paper seeks to redress this gap by disaggregating the farm-level impacts of PPR based on the gender of the household head and implementers of routine and management activities in small ruminant production at the household level. METHODSTo quantify the gendered economic impacts of PPR, a system dynamics model was developed with four modules: integrated production-epidemiology, economics and profitability, disease control, and marketing. The model was parameterised based on survey data from 747 households in 49 agro-pastoral and pastoral villages in Senegal and augmented by secondary data. The model was validated (structurally and behaviourally) and simulated for 30 years with a weekly timestep. A set of disease scenarios were run for ten different farm household typologies based on the gender of the household head and household members who perform production management activities (like purchasing, selling, gifting, and vaccinating animals) and routine activities (like feeding, cleaning pens, and caring for sick animals). RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSModel results estimated annual reductions in farm profitability of 51% to 61% with a hypothetical 25% incidence rate of PPR, corresponding to an average of $1051 to $1246 USD lost per household per year. In the two most impacted household typologies, management activities were performed by either men only or women only, and in the three least impacted household typologies, management activities were shared by men and women. The least impacted household typology with the highest gross margins without PPR ($2429 USD per year) and the lowest percentage of loss (51%) was female-headed households with men and women doing management tasks and primarily women or girls doing routine activities. SIGNIFICANCESHouseholds with both women and men engaged in management activities were less impacted by PPR, highlighting the crucial role of women's agency in management decisions taken in small ruminant production at the farm level. The findings further provide the empirical grounding for considering gender dynamics in interventions to control PPR and other livestock diseases in small ruminant production systems.

A Discourse Analysis of Women Sexuality in the Lyrics of an Anonymous Turkish Folk Song

This qualitative study examines the gender dynamics and societal expectations embedded within a traditional song and its associated story. Focusing on the themes of virginity and women purity, the research investigates the power structures, control, and cultural implications reflected in the narrative. Through a comprehensive literature review, we explore existing scholarship on gender studies and societal norms surrounding virginity. The song and story are analyzed, highlighting the depiction of the character Nazife, a fifteen-year-old girl whose worth is tied to her virginity. Drawing upon gender theories, feminist theory and intersectionality, the study critically deconstructs the societal norms and power dynamics present in the narrative. The research uncovers a patriarchal notion that women sexuality is controlled by men, who act as gatekeepers of a woman's virtue. Moreover, the study examines the social stigma and shaming faced by women who do not conform to traditional expectations of purity. By analyzing the cultural and historical context, the study provides insights into the gendered dynamics prevalent during the song's origin. This research contributes to the understanding of how societal constructs impact women's agency and the importance of challenging gender norms to achieve gender equality.

Experiences of menstrual restrictions: Freedom lost and never regained

Among numerous issues that make experiences during menstruation an impediment to gender equity, restrictions on daily activities is a concern about limiting individual freedom. Studies of menstrual restrictions have identified the arrays of “dos-and-don'ts”, but what remained missing was a detailed exploration into its origin, nature, correlates and the reasons behind their uncanny consistency over time. This paper, using primary survey of 1200 married young adults in two eastern states in India, adds to the existing literature by identifying the nature of restrictions, the changes in its contour with marriage and their internalization. Classifying restrictions in three broad categories, (restrictions on self, restrictions over household activities and restrictions over worship), the paper finds that nearly all woman are barred from performing rituals. While marriage increases the restrictions on women's agency to eat, go out, sleep in usual home or have sexual activities, it reduces the restrictions on household chores (cooking, serving). Strikingly, restrictions on herself do not alter with education or menstrual literacy. However, fitting logistic regression models over subsamples of hygienic menstrual product-users, finds restrictions are higher for backward classes and those who incorrectly define menstruation. Astonishingly, women do not find menstrual restrictions to be subduing and is reluctant in aspiring for changing community's perception, letting this thrive through generations. They only aspire for better menstrual products. This study shows that a holistic policy should target ‘changing perceptions’ rather than ‘changing protections’, to usher in a menstrual experience with freedom. Educating girls and their elderly care-givers (mothers, grandmothers or mothers-in-law) about this physiological process, giving them a space to discuss and fight the concept of impurity of their bodies can actually gift them a better living experience for sure.

Testamente din Moldova veacului al XVIII-lea: voci de femei, voci de bărbați

The present study aims to analyse some case studies and situations that may add some nuance to the status of women, and in particular to deepen our understanding of the challenges and limitations they face. The present exploration is based chiefly on testaments, but also on property and ownership deeds or other legal sources. Its main interest is in discovering women's agency in a masculine world. The first part of this text deals with women’s attitudes as reflected in last wills and testaments, as in the second part, it is analysed the boyar’s views on their wives. The main ideas of the research are about women's inheritance (practice and theory) and baștina (ancestral family patrimony), the consequences of remarriage, the similarity between women and men in writing wills, the image of women reflected in their husbands' wills. In conclusion, this analysis identifies a number of issues, both positive and negative. It can be seen that women have a certain level of education, freedom of action or, among the negative ones, in a number of cases, the status of women is influenced and depends on male conditioning.

Building women's social capital in Late Antique Egypt: business owners and civic administrators

Women as a social category have been the subject of numerous recent studies considering their lived experience in the Late Antique and Byzantine Mediterranean. However, their representation in the narrative sources continues to shape modern reconstructions of women's agency within their social and economic contexts, often with unsatisfactory results. Building on the twentieth-century sociologist Pierre Bourdieu's model of social capital, this article will use the documentary papyri from Egypt to suggest a paradigm in which the agency of individual women can be viewed and incorporated into micro-historical narratives of the patriarchal society of Late Antiquity.

“He took her by the hand and told her to stand”

AbstractThis reflection highlights the importance of women's agency in response to crises and challenges today. The inclusion and participation of women improves the well‐being of all, be it in education, health care, the economy, or the government. There is a need to challenge interreligious dialogue settings that exclude or sideline women. Another critical area relates to the “freedom of religion or belief” agenda that sometimes concedes to misogynist perspectives in religious traditions. The text pleads strongly for full inclusion of women in the dialogue and human rights agenda.

Breaking the Patriarchal Mold: A Journal on Feminism, Singleness, and Women’s Empowerment in Jakarta

In Indonesia, patriarchal norms and societal expectations significantly constrain women's agency and autonomy, particularly in the context of singleness. However, research on the experiences of single women in Jakarta is notably limited within academic discourse. Breaking the Patriarchal Mold aims to explore the intersections of feminism, singleness, and women's empowerment in Jakarta. The primary objective is to challenge and dismantle patriarchal norms while amplifying the voices of marginalized single women. The journal invites submissions from various theoretical perspectives, including feminist theory, intersectional feminism, queer feminism, and postcolonial feminism. These perspectives will be utilized to examine and contextualize the experiences of single women in Jakarta. Breaking the Patriarchal Mold will feature scholarly articles, personal essays, and creative works that delve into the experiences of single women in Jakarta. It is anticipated that the journal will shed light on the diverse experiences of single women in Jakarta and provide insights into how patriarchal norms and societal expectations impact their lives. The journal's findings will contribute to the broader discourse on feminism, singleness, and women's empowerment in Indonesia. Additionally, it will promote gender equality and social justice in the region. Breaking the Patriarchal Mold will serve as a platform to elevate the voices of single women in Jakarta, challenge prevailing patriarchal structures, and advocate for greater gender equality and social change.

"Our desire is to make this village intestinal worm free": Identifying determinants of high coverage of community-wide mass drug administration for soil transmitted helminths in Benin, India, and Malawi.

Soil-transmitted helminth infections (STH) are associated with substantial morbidity in low-and-middle-income countries, accounting for 2.7 million disability-adjusted life years annually. Current World Health Organization guidelines recommend controlling STH-associated morbidity through periodic deworming of at-risk populations, including children and women of reproductive age (15-49 years). However, there is increasing interest in community-wide mass drug administration (cMDA) which includes deworming adults who serve as infection reservoirs as a method to improve coverage and possibly to interrupt STH transmission. We investigated determinants of cMDA coverage by comparing high-coverage clusters (HCCs) and low-coverage clusters (LCCs) receiving STH cMDA in three countries. A convergent mixed-methods design was used to analyze data from HCCs and LCCs in DeWorm3 trial sites in Benin, India, and Malawi following three rounds of cMDA. Qualitative data were collected via 48 community-level focus group discussions. Quantitative data were collected via routine activities nested within the DeWorm3 trial, including annual censuses and coverage surveys. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) guided coding, theme development and a rating process to determine the influence of each CFIR construct on cMDA coverage. Of 23 CFIR constructs evaluated, we identified 11 constructs that differentiated between HCCs and LCCs, indicating they are potential drivers of coverage. Determinants differentiating HCC and LCC include participant experiences with previous community-wide programs, communities' perceptions of directly observed therapy (DOT), perceptions about the treatment uptake behaviors of neighbors, and women's agency to make household-level treatment decisions. The convergent mixed-methods study identified barriers and facilitators that may be useful to NTD programs to improve cMDA implementation for STH, increase treatment coverage, and contribute to the successful control or elimination of STH. The parent trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03014167).

INTRA HOUSE HOLD RESOURCE ALLOCATION AND WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT: A COLLECTIVE MODEL PERSPECTIVE

"Intrahousehold Resource Allocation and Women's Empowerment: A Collective Model Perspective" examines the intricate dynamics of resource distribution within households and its impact on women's empowerment. Employing a collective model approach, this study explores how bargaining power and decision-making authority are shaped by the allocation of resources within familial units. Through empirical analysis and theoretical frameworks, the research sheds light on the complex interplay between intrafamily dynamics, cultural norms, and socioeconomic factors that influence women's agency and well-being. By elucidating these dynamics, the study contributes to a deeper understanding of gender relations and offers insights for policymakers and practitioners seeking to promote gender equality and women's empowerment.

Religious Authority in Women’s Mosque (Ummul Mukminin Mosque at Universitas Islam Bandung)

This study spotlights women's religious authority in the Ummul Mukminin Mosque at Universitas Islam Bandung (Unisba). It seeks to investigate how female initiative negotiates with and coexists with existing (and generally male-dominated) religion, as well as the role of women in its re-emergence. In the early twentieth century, a new wave of women's revivalist groups promoted the role of women in public spaces such as mosques and madrasas, spreading new or reinvented forms of religious practice, attire, and interpretation among Muslim women. Furthermore, women with formal education gained access to employment prospects traditionally exclusive to men. Nonetheless, the growth of female religious roles presents both possibilities and barriers. Women's presence and involvement in the mosque are demarcated by general perceptions of women's prayer at home, gender stereotypes, and leadership restrictions on women. Therefore, this paper concerns the struggles of women in the academic community of Unisba to sustain their existence in a male-dominated public environment. According to the findings of this study, women's agency at Unisba elevates its religious authority through building the mosque and organizing the numerous religious events geared primarily at women's empowerment. The qualitative technique employed includes in-depth observation, interviews, and pertinent social media sources.

‘My doctor just called me a good girl and I died a bit inside’: From everyday misogyny to obstetric violence in UK fertility and maternity services

This paper begins with the common phrase ‘good girl’ as a lens through which to explore the insidious nature of patronising and paternalistic language on women's agency in obstetric care. Here we see how misogynistic language is both violence against women in its own right, and serves to create a context in which more extreme obstetric violence can be precipitated. Based on thematic analysis of discussion on Mumsnet, and on contributions to a research-focused Facebook group, this paper illustrates the complexity of recognising and refuting misogyny as a female patient as well as the damage that can occur from a cultural context in which this language is normalised. Here, words both boast a materiality through the environments they reify, and become transient and slippery, with semiotic uncertainty.

“Red Housekeeping” in a Socialist Factory: Jiashu and Transforming Reproductive Labor in Urban China (1949–1962)

Abstract While scholarship on “women's liberation” under historically existing socialism focuses on heroic women making inroads into male-dominated domains, this article explores a previously overlooked group of women in socialist China. Known as jiashu in Chinese, these women are the female dependents (wives, mothers, and in-laws) of both male and female employees in a workplace. Specifically, it centers on the experiences of the jiashu of textile workers in the city of Zhengzhou from 1949 to 1962. It argues that, despite being portrayed as “parasitizing” off formal workers, jiashu performed a wide range of work, both paid and unpaid, inside and outside the household. Similar to their counterparts under capitalism and other state-socialist regimes, these Chinese women's unpaid domestic work sustained the daily and generational reproduction of the labor force and was thus essential to industrial accumulation. Moreover, jiashu also worked on the shopfloor and in collectivized service facilities as paid laborers. Such remunerated work also subsidized accumulation, and the resistance from these women contributed to the eventual collapse of the Great Leap Forward (1958–1962). This research advances the field in two ways. First, it expands theories about the relationship between women's work, social reproduction, and capital accumulation to include work that is both reproductive in nature and remunerated – a previously understudied form of labor. Second, while existing literature focuses on structural analysis and explains why women's work is functional to accumulation, this study gives equal attention to women's agency, showing how interactions between the two shaped historical trajectories.

Perceptions of Barriers and Facilitators to Reducing Exposure to Secondhand Smoke in the Home: A Qualitative Study With Palestinian-Arab Women in Israel.

Smoking is a collective and complex problem in the Palestinian-Arab community in Israel, where women and children are particularly vulnerable to exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS), especially in the home. We undertook this study to better understand women's experiences with SHS exposure in the home and to identify pathways for intervention. Using the grounded theory approach, seven focus groups were conducted with 66 women in different localities across Israel. Purposive and snowball sampling techniques were applied to recruit women who have currently or previously been exposed to smoking in the home. Focus groups were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim, and data were then coded and analyzed using the constant comparison analysis method to identify emergent themes and subthemes. Three core themes emerged from the discussions. These include women's perceptions of smoking among men and exposure to SHS in the home, the implications of smoking on spousal and social relationships, and the women's experiences in coping with this situation and their suggestions for interventions. We identified additional sub-themes, including the consequences to women's and children's health, as well as the complex interaction between smoking in the home and women's social position, agency, and home ownership. Women exposed to SHS in the home experience consequences that affect their health and their spousal and social relationships. They also face several personal and societal challenges in tackling this issue. Culturally tailored interventions targeting both communities and households can raise awareness and impact smoking behaviors in the home. The findings of this study demonstrate the far-reaching consequences of SHS exposure in the home among women who are exposed. The findings contribute to our understanding of smoking contingencies among men and smoking behaviors in the home. This study lays the groundwork for future community and household-based research and interventions. We suggest several critical junctures that may increase response to smoking cessation interventions and to reduce smoking in the home, such as at the time of marriage when the home policy is set, and the adverse effects of exposure on children and other family members, especially those with illness.

The Causal Effect of Early Marriage on Women's Bargaining Power: Evidence from Bangladesh

Abstract Early marriage restrains women's agency and bargaining strength in postmarital households, impairing their ability to make meaningful contributions to household decision making. This paper employs a comprehensive measure of women's empowerment in the domestic and productive spheres, and isolates the causal effect of age at marriage, instrumented by age at menarche, on their bargaining strength, using nationally representative data from Bangladesh. Results suggest that delayed marriages result in significantly higher empowerment scores and probability of being empowered for women, because of higher likelihood in achieving adequacy in their autonomy in agricultural production, control over income, ownership of assets and rights in those assets, and ability to speak in public. Favorable impacts of delayed marriage are also found on women's freedom of mobility, fertility choices, and their ability to decide on household expenses and investments, with the impacts likely coming via improvements in education and labor market outcomes when women married later.

Psychosocial dimensions of access and their association with contraceptive use and intention to use.

Several studies suggest that psychosocial accessibility appears to be the key remaining hurdle to contraceptive use when issues of geographic and financial accessibility have been resolved. To date, the literature has considered various dimensions of psychosocial accessibility, which are not well measured by the two main sources of contraceptive data (DHS and PMA2020). In a previous paper, we have designed a framework that outlines four subdimensions of cognitive and psychosocial access and their theoretical relationship to contraceptive use and intention to use. This paper aims to study the associations between the four dimensions of access to contraception with the contraceptive use and intention to use. It also aims to explore the mediation effect of these four dimensions of access in the relationships between classical individual characteristics and contraceptive use and intention to use. The data we used came from the 6th round of the PMA2020 survey in Burkina Faso in 2018-19. This survey included 2,763 households (98.4% response rate) and 3329 women (97.7% response rate). In addition to PMA's core questions, this survey collected data on psychosocial accessibility. Each group of questions was added to address one dimension. We use a multilevel generalized structural equation and mediation modeling to test the associations between psychosocial accessibility and contraceptive use while controlling for some individual and contextual characteristics. Approval, contraceptive knowledge, and agency were associated with contraceptive use, while fears of side effects were not. Approval and agency explain part of the effects of education and parity on contraceptive use. Exposure to family planning messages had a positive impact on women's contraceptive agency. FP messages can help enhance women's contraceptive agency, and then, contraceptive use, regardless of age and parity. The analysis highlights the mediator effects of contraceptive approval and agency on the association between parity and education with contraceptive use.