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Gender Inequality and Women’s Empowerment

2005-06 National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3). Gender Inequality and Women’s Empowerment. Why Measure Gender Inequality and Women’s Empowerment in NFHS-3?. Important public health consequences for women and children Strategic theme of NPP 2000

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Gender Inequality and Women’s Empowerment

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  1. 2005-06 National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3) Gender Inequality and Women’s Empowerment

  2. Why Measure Gender Inequality and Women’s Empowerment in NFHS-3? • Important public health consequences for women and children • Strategic theme of NPP 2000 Theme: Empowering women for improved health and nutrition • Millennium Development Goals 3 & 4 MDG3: Promote gender equality and empower women MDG4: Eliminate gender disparity in education

  3. Content of Presentation • Selected indicators of gender disparity • Access and control over resources • Women’s decision making role • Freedom of movement • Acceptance of gender unequal norms

  4. Gender Disparity in Literacy

  5. Gender Disparity in Media Exposure Not only are fewer women than men literate but fewer are also regularly exposed to media • Percentage of men and women age 15-19 regularly exposed to print media, TV, radio, or cinema • Men 88% • Women 71% • Gender Disparity 19%

  6. Employment: Another Area of Gender Disparity Percent Among the population age 15-49 • Men are 2 times as likely to be employed • Men are 2.7 times as likely to be employed for cash • Among the employed, 64% of women vs. 91% of men earn cash • Female share of population employed for cash in non-agricultural occupations is 22%

  7. The majority of employed women are engaged in agricultural work

  8. Does employment empower women financially? • NFHS-3 asked married employed women and men who controlled their own earnings and who controlled the spouse’s earnings (if relevant) • 20% of employed married women said they earned at least as much as their husband • 24% of men with an employed wife said that their wife earned at least as much as them

  9. Control over Women’s Earnings as Reported by Currently Married Women and Men Percent Women’s report about their own earnings Men’s report about their wife’s earnings Mainly husband Husband & wife jointly Mainly wife

  10. Are some women more likely than others to NOT participate in the use of their earnings? Percent of currently married women Age Residence Education Wealth Index

  11. Do married women have access to any other financial resources? Percentage of women who:

  12. Education, employment, or wealth do not ensure that women have money that they control Percentage of women age 15-49 who have money which they can decide how to use

  13. Do married women participate in other household decision making?

  14. Older women are much more likely than younger women to participate in household decisions • Differentials by other characteristics are small • However, less than half of even the oldest, urban, more educated, employed or wealthier women participate in all four decisions

  15. What are some of the other hurdles that prevent women from attaining gender equality? • Limited freedom of movement • Gender norms that promote men’s control over women. NFHS-3 asked women and men questions about norms regarding • Wife beating • A husband’s right to have sex with his wife irrespective of his wife’s wishes

  16. Percentage of women age 15-49 who are allowed to go alone to: The majority of women have little freedom of movement. Only one-third go alone to all three destinations: the market, health facility and outside the village or community.

  17. Percentage who agree that a husband is justified in hitting or beating his wife if she:

  18. Although urban, educated, employed and wealthier persons are less likely to agree with wife beating, these characteristics are not sufficient to supplant beliefs in gender inegalitarian norms

  19. Attitude towards refusing sex with husband by Situation, Women and Men Percentage who agree that a wife is justified in refusing to have sex with her husband when she:

  20. Percentage of men age 15-49 who consider that, when a woman refuses to have sex with him when he wants, he has the right to: • Get angry and reprimand her - 20% • Refuse her financial support - 6% • Use force to have sex - 6% • Have sex with another woman - 4%

  21. Key Findings • Women are disadvantaged absolutely and relative to men in terms of access to education, media exposure, and employment for cash. • The majority of married women do not have the final say on the use of their own earnings or all other household decisions asked about. • Traditional gender norms, particularly those concerning wife beating, remain strongly entrenched.

  22. Thank You

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