Abstract:

There are multiple tools to measure women’s economic empowerment but limited information exists about their cross-cultural validity and reliability. This study assesses the psychometric properties of ten questions measuring two dimensions of women’s economic empowerment. It uses cross-sectional data from six low-and-middle-income settings: Kinshasa and Kongo Central (Demographic Republic of Congo), Kenya, Lagos and Kano (Nigeria), and Burkina Faso. The first dimension, household decision making, was proxied by women’s power to decide household purchases on large items, daily needs, medical treatment, and clothes. This dimension was valid and reliable in all settings. The second dimension, financial autonomy, was proxied by whether women had savings, knew where to obtain financial information, and had financial goals. This dimension was valid and reliable in Kenya, Lagos, and Kano. These findings can inform future surveys aiming to measure women’s economic empowerment.

Keywords: Women’s empowerment, household bargaining, women, gender, women’s economic empowerment