1. LA PÉPINIÈRE SECONDARY DATA ANALYSIS ON ADOLESCENT GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN Based on data from the DHS (2013) and Enquête-123 (2012) for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) FINAL VERSION (December 2015) 1

2. Introduction and methodologyPages 3 - 8 Research question 1: The current situation of Adolescent Girls & Young Women (AGYW) Pages 9-27 Research question 2: The experiences, perceptions and aspirations of AGYW in relation to their economic and social empowerment Pages 28-29 Research question 3 & 4: The main factors that contribute to economic empowerment and its relationship to other domains Page 30-33 Research question 5: The relationship between economic empowerment of AGYW and empowerment in other domains Page 34- 37 Implications for La Pépinière programmePage 38-40 2 Contents LA PÉPINIÈRE

3. INTRODUCTION & METHODOLOGY 3

4. Purpose of this report 4 LA PÉPINIÈRE This report provides insight into the situation of adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) aged 12-24 and their levels of economic empowerment in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It is based on secondary analysis of the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) 2013 and the Enquête 1-2-3 survey from 2012. The DHS survey is nationally representative and captures data from over 18,000 households in the DRC. This analysis was conducted as part of La Pépinière, a programme funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID), which aims to improve the situation of adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in DRC through research, capacity building, policy and programming. It is important to emphasise that this is just one of a number of inter-related primary and secondary studies research being conducted during the preliminary phase of La Pépinière (April 2015 – September 2017) to inform the programme’s conceptual and practical approach to adolescent girls and young women’s (AGYW’s) economic empowerment. The other studies include: A review of literature on adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in Kinshasa and DRC A qualitative study on the situation of girls led by La Pépinière’s team of girl researchers A study on the media and communications landscape in Kinshasa A mapping of existing programmes targeting adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) The purpose of this secondary data analysis is to ensure we exploit quantitative data from existing studies about La Pépinière’s target group of adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) aged 12-24 in Kinshasa.

5. La Pépinière’s research questions 5 LA PÉPINIÈRE The secondary analysis seeks to contribute analysis to answer the six research questions for La Pépinière: 1.The current situation of Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW), compared to Adolescent Boys and Young Men (ABYM). 2.The experiences, perceptions and aspirations of AGYW in relation to their economic and social empowerment. 3.The main factors at an individual and collective level that contribute to economic empowerment. 4.The main factors in the larger environment that have an impact on the economic empowerment on AGYW. 5.The relationship between economic empowerment and empowerment in other domains 6.‘What works’ to improve the economic empowerment of AGYW. Given that the DHS and Enquete-123 were designed for a different purpose, this analysis can only draw on the data that exists and that it pertinent to these questions. It provides most data on research question 1, with a little data on research questions 2-5.

6. Definitions and variables for economic empowerment 6 LA PÉPINIÈRE When reading this report, please note the following: Economic empowerment La Pépinière’s working definition is that an adolescent girl or young woman is defined as economically empowered when she has: -The power to make and act on economic decisions, individually or collectively; -The ability to succeed and advance economically; -And an environment that facilitates and supports this advancement. Proxies for economic empowerment Four questions were selected from the DHS survey module which relate to ‘women’s empowerment’ and are considered as the closest proxy measures for economic empowerment: 1.Who usually decides how the money you earn will be used? 2.Who usually makes the decisions about making major household purchases? 3.Who usually decides how your (husband/ partner’s) earnings will be used? 4.Who usually makes decisions about healthcare for yourself?

7. Approach to data analysis 7 LA PÉPINIÈRE Methodology The following steps were taken to produce the data included in this report: 1.Review of the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) (2013) and Enquête 1-2- 3 on employment, the informal sector and household consumption (2012) for DRC to identify the variables most pertinent for La Pépinière 2.Development of an analysis plan for the variables related to economic empowerment. 3.Generation of the data tables from the data in the DHS and Enquête 1-2-3. 4.In-depth analysis of the data tables to generate analysis for research questions 1 and 2. 5.Regression analysis to examine the relationships between variables for research questions 3, 4 and 5. 6.Production of a narrative report (in word, available on request) and this summary report.

8. Limitations of this report 8 LA PÉPINIÈRE The key limitations of the secondary data analysis are summarised below. Further limitations related to specific analysis are also highlighted in the commentary throughout the report: 1.The data used throughout this report was collected as part of two standard national surveys. Hence, whilst it provides relevant insights for La Pépinière, it does not comprehensively respond to its objectives, research questions or target groups. 2.Data is drawn from two different surveys (the DHS and Enquête 1-2-3) and hence the variables are not consistently defined. This is particularly the case for the age categories used. 3.Whilst Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) are defined as aged 12 to 24 in the La Pépinière programme, this report largely uses the age range 13 to 24 to allow for comparability and sometimes age 15-24 where DHS data is only available for this group/ 4.The women’s empowerment module of the DHS is only asked of married women, aged 15 to 49. This means that relationships between measures of economic empowerment and other variables can only be explored for married adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) aged 15 to 24. 5.The two surveys are household surveys. For the Enquête 123, the data captured for the ‘whole population’ is based on an interview with the head of the household rather than with household members. This is also the case for the DHS modules on household status, expenses, whether children work etc. However, the DHS includes a questionnaire for women aged 15- 49 with a number of key modules on maternal health, work, marriage, women’s empowerment and domestic violence. 6.In some cases, DHS data is reported for all women aged 15-49 and in some cases only for women in union. On each slide, we have therefore specified whether the data pertains to all AGYW aged 15-24 or only those that are married. 7.The DHS consists of three questionnaires. The data included comes from all three and so the base size differs, depending on its specific source. Throughout the analysis, we have always used the largest possible base size and have reported percentages to enable comparability.

9. THE CURRENT SITUATION OF AGYW (RESEARCH Q1) 9 AgeEducation Role in the household sizeOccupation Household sizeMedia consumption Marital statusExperience of violence Children Relative wealth

10. Many AGYW and ABYM in Kinshasa and DRC are currently in the youngest age category The target age group for La Pépinière (13-24) is skewed young, both in Kinshasa and in DRC overall for both men and women.* The highest proportion of AGYW is in the youngest (13-14 years) age category (19% in Kinshasa and 25% in DRC). Similarly the highest proportion of adolescent boys and young men (ABYM) is also in the youngest (13-14 years) age category (21% in Kinshasa and 27% in DRC). The age skew is stronger for ABYM than for AGYW. For example, in Kinshasa 19% women are aged 13 -14 compared to 15% who are aged 23 to 24. Whereas among men, 21% in Kinshasa are 13-14 year olds versus 14% are 23 and 24 year olds. 10 LA PÉPINIÈRE Age breakdown of AGYW (13-24)Age breakdown of ABYM (13-24) Source: DHS 2013-14 * Please note that data for 12 year olds has been removed in order to make the age breaks an equal and comparable size

11. AGYW are more likely to be married and younger outside of Kinshasa There are clear differences between AGYW living in Kinshasa and those living in the rest of DRC. 84% of AGYW (aged 15- 24) in Kinshasa have never married compared to 56% of those living in DRC overall. This distinction between Kinshasa and DRC is notable from the earliest age breakdown among AGYW aged 15-16 when 3% of those in Kinshasa are married compared to 7% in DRC overall. By ages 17-18 this gap extends to 4% of those in Kinshasa being married compared to 27% of those in DRC overall. 11 LA PÉPINIÈRE Marital status of AGYW (aged 15-24)% of AGYW who are ‘married/living together’ Source: DHS 2013-14

12. AGYW get married much younger than ABYM in both Kinshasa and DRC In Kinshasa, 13% AGYW are married by the time they are 19- 20 years old, whereas only 4% ABYM will be married by the same age. By the age of 23-24, this gap increases even further with 30% AGYW married and only 5% ABYM married. 12 LA PÉPINIÈRE ‘Married/living together’ in DRC‘Married/living together’ in Kinshasa ABYM are marrying much younger outside of Kinshasa in wider DRC. At age 23-24, 36% of ABYM in DRC overall are married, a greater % that of AGYW of the same age in Kinshasa (30%) However, differences between AGYW and ABYM still exist. 64% of young women aged 23-24 years are married compared to 36% of men. Source: DHS 2013-14

13. One in two AGYW aged 15-24 have a child in DRC compared to one in four in Kinshasa In Kinshasa, 23% of all AGYW (age 15-24) have one or more children, compared to 43% in DRC overall, suggesting a significant gap between DRC and the rest of the country. 13 LA PÉPINIÈRE AGYW (age 15-24) – number of living children Source: DHS 2013-14 In terms of views expressed on the number of children they desire, AGYW (aged 15-24) in Kinshasa express a desire for fewer children than AGYW in the rest of the DRC. In Kinshasa, the average ‘desirable’ number of children for women age 15-49 is 4.5 children compared to 6.1 for DRC overall. The aspiration to have fewer children is stronger among younger AGYW in DRC overall. Among AGYW aged 15-19, the desirable number is 5.3 compared to 5.7 among age 20 -24 and 6.2 among age 25-29. The desire to have fewer children is also stronger among more educated AGYW and wealthier AGYW in DRC.

14. AGYW are most likely to be daughter of the head of the household in DRC and Kinshasa Half (49%) of AGYW aged 13-24, in both Kinshasa and DRC, are the daughters of the head of the household where they live. A further 42% of those in Kinshasa are related to the head of household as a member of the extended family, compared to only 27% in DRC. One in five AGYW aged 13-24 in DRC are living as the wife of the head of the household, relative to 8% of their counterparts in Kinshasa, again illustrating the later age of marriage in Kinshasa. 14 LA PÉPINIÈRE Relationship of AGYW (aged 13-24) to the head of the household Source: DHS 2013-14

15. AGYW in Kinshasa live in relatively richer households than those in DRC as a whole The Wealth Index* is the DHS composite measure of a household’s cumulative living standard. It is calculated using data on household ownership of selected assets (e.g. televisions, bicycles), materials used for housing construction, and access to water and sanitation facilities. Using principal components analysis, the Wealth Index places individual households on a continuous scale of relative wealth. All interviewed households are then placed into five wealth quintiles. The Wealth Index for the DRC indicates that AGYW outside Kinshasa live in relatively much poorer households than those in Kinshasa. However, there are significant disparities in Kinshasa and some communes where the conditions of life are particularly difficult and precarious. 15 LA PÉPINIÈRE Wealth Index for AGYW (13-24) in DRC Source: DHS 2013-14 *About the Wealth Index: http://www.dhsprogram.com/topics/wealth-index/Index.cfm

16. 16 AgeEducation Role in the household sizeOccupation Household sizeMedia consumption Marital statusExperience of violence Children Household income THE CURRENT SITUATION OF AGYW (RESEARCH Q1)

17. Education levels are similar for AGYW & ABYM in Kinshasa, and higher than in DRC overall Attainment levels are higher for AGYW and ABYM aged 13-24 in Kinshasa compared to DRC as a whole with 34% ABYM and 31% AGYW completing secondary or higher education (compared to 11% and 9% in DRC as a whole) Around half of both AGYW and ABYM fall into the category ‘incomplete secondary’ in Kinshasa and DRC overall, meaning that they started but then dropped out of secondary school. Education levels are similar for AGYW and ABYM aged 13-24 in Kinshasa. In DRC as a whole, however, attainment levels are lower for AGYW than ABYW. The literacy levels of ABYM and AGYW follow the same trend as educational attainment. Literacy levels are relatively lower in DRC overall for both AGYW and ABYM compared to Kinshasa, and significantly lower for girls in DRC overall. 26% of AGYW aged 13-24 in DRC cannot read at all versus only 8% of ABYM. In Kinshasa, 6% of AGYW aged 13-24 cannot read at all versus 3% of ABYM. NB: Data is reported from heads of households, not individual eligible AGYW or ABYM. 17 LA PÉPINIÈRE Educational attainment for ABYM and AGYW, Kinshasa (age 13-24) Educational attainment for ABYM and AGYW, DRC (age 13-24) Source: DHS 2013-14

18. Less than a third (32%) of Kinshasa- based AGYW aged 15-24 are working In DRC overall, about half of all ABYM and all AGYW aged 15-24 are currently working. The proportion of those currently working in Kinshasa is significantly lower than in DRC overall at around one third on average. Fewer younger adolescents – both boys and girls – work in Kinshasa (15% and 16%) compared to DRC as a whole (31% and 32%) Both AGYW and ABYM tend to work more as they get older in both DRC and Kinshasa. At age 23-24, 53% of men and 41% of women in Kinshasa are working (compared to 73% and 67% overall in DRC). In DRC overall, the proportion of AGYW to ABYM who are working is more even, whereas in Kinshasa, there is greater variation across the age groups. 18 LA PÉPINIÈRE Working in the current year, Kinshasa (age 15-24) Working in the current year, DRC (age 15-24) Source: DHS 2013-14 NB: ‘Currently working’ is defined as ‘those who have had, during the twelve months preceding the survey, work, paid or unpaid, regardless of industry, outside of domestic work’. NB: Data is reported for ages 15-24 from individual eligible men and women (married and unmarried).

19. Fewer AGYW aged 15-24 in Kinshasa work than in DRC overall; small trading is their key activity The DHS survey indicates that whilst the majority of AGYW (aged 15-24) and ABYM (aged 15-24) in Kinshasa and in DRC overall state that they are ‘not working’, it is the AGYW in Kinshasa who are most likely to be out of work. 66% AGYW are not working in Kinshasa compared to 44% AGYW in DRC. Across DRC as a whole, the most common ‘occupation’ for both AGYW and ABYM is ‘self-employed agricultural’ work. Selling (petit commerce) is a more common economic activity among AGYW than ABYM in Kinshasa and DRC overall. In Kinshasa 20% of AGYW aged 12-24 say they engage in selling. Sales often means street trading, for example of the sale of water, peanuts, fruit, bread, etc. 19 LA PÉPINIÈRE Occupation, ABYM (age 15-24) Occupation, AGYW (age 15-24) Source: DHS 2013-14 NB: Data is reported for ages 15-24 from all individual eligible men and women.

20. The majority of AGYW aged 15-24 in Kinshasa are paid through profits from selling The most common form of payment in exchange for work for AGYW and ABYM (aged 15-24) are the ‘bénéfices’ i.e. the the profit earned from trading. This is more common for AGYW (two-thirds of those who work earn their money from profits from selling compared to 40% ABYM). 26% of ABYM earn by task / piecework (compared to only 10% of AGYW). Very few AGYW or ABYM (aged 15 – 24) earn a monthly or weekly salary and a significant minority work for no pay. 20 LA PÉPINIÈRE Form of payment received for work, Kinshasa (age 15-24 ) Source: DHS 2013-14 NB: Data is reported for ages 15-24 from all individual eligible men and women (married and unmarried).

21. AGYW aged 15-24 are more likely to be in all-year round employment than ABYM in Kinshasa A higher proportion of AGYW (aged 15-24) in Kinshasa (57%) report engaging in consistent, all year round employment relative to their male ABYM (aged 15-24) counterparts (23%), and their female counterparts in DRC as a whole (37%). 21 LA PÉPINIÈRE Type of employment (Kinshasa) Type of employment (DRC) Source: DHS 2013-14 NB: Data is reported for ages 15-24 from all individual eligible men and women (married and unmarried).

22. Most AGYW and ABYM aged 10-24 in Kinshasa are ‘not working’ and are in education Of AGYW and ABYM (aged 10-24) in Kinshasa that have indicated they are ‘not working’, the majority say this is because they are in education. However, the number of those in education falls with age. Among AGYW, the proportion of those who state that they are ‘in education’ falls from 86% for 10 to 14 year olds to 49% for 20 to 24 year olds. Of the AGYW age 20-24, 22% are housewives and another quarter state ‘other’ option. Among ABYM, the proportion still ‘in education’ at 20 to 24 remains relatively high at 73%. And the remaining third marked the ‘other’ option (25%) or reported being ill for a long duration (2%). In terms of financing themselves, over 95% of AGYW and ABYM (age 10 to 24) not working say they are supported by their family. 22 LA PÉPINIÈRE Reasons given by AGYW for not being in work (Kinshasa) Reasons give by ABYM for not being in work (Kinshasa) Source: DHS 2013-14 NB: Data is reported by the household head for all members of the family; there is no further information available on what constitutes the category ‘other’

23. 23 AgeEducation Role in the household sizeOccupation Household sizeMedia consumption Marital statusExperience of violence Children Household income THE CURRENT SITUATION OF AGYW (RESEARCH Q1)

24. 75% AGYW aged 15-24 in Kinshasa watch TV at least once a week In Kinshasa, the DHS data indicates that television dominates among ABYM and AGYW (age 15-24) over other media, and that the consumption of TV is significantly higher in Kinshasa than in DRC. Radio presents an opportunity to reach about to a quarter of AGYW and just over a a third of ABYM (aged 15-24) in both Kinshasa and DRC. Whereas, newspapers reach just 10% AGYW and only 16% ABYM in Kinshasa. When disaggregated further by age, younger audiences (15 to 19) are even more likely to watch TV and even less likely to read newspapers or listen to the radio than those aged 20-24. None of the 15-19 year olds said they read newspapers and only 10% listened to the radio at least once a week. This is explained by the fact that 44% of households in rural areas have a television, against 2% in rural areas; in terms of radio, the proportions are 58.2% in urban areas against 35.4% in rural areas. 24 LA PÉPINIÈRE Media consumed at least once a week (ABYM)*Media consumed at least once a week (AGYW)* Source: DHS 2013-14 NB: Data is reported for ages 15-24 from all individual eligible men and women (married and unmarried).

25. 25 AgeEducation Role in the household sizeOccupation Household sizeMedia consumption Marital statusExperience of violence Children Household income THE CURRENT SITUATION OF AGYW (RESEARCH Q1)

26. Over 40% of AGYW aged 15-24 in Kinshasa have experienced a form of violence 40% of 15-19 year olds and 59% of 20-24 years old AGYW (married and unmarried) in Kinshasa have experienced physical violence during their lifetime. 9% of 15-19 year olds and 18% of 20-24 years old AGYW (married and unmarried) in Kinshasa have experienced emotional violence during their lifetime 20% of 15-19 year old and 38% of 20-24 years old AGYW (married and unmarried) in Kinshasa have experienced emotional violence during their lifetime 26 LA PÉPINIÈRE % of AGYW who have experienced a form of violence (Kinshasa) Physical violence‘Less serious’ physical violence: Shove, shake or throw something Arm twisting or pulling hair ‘Serious’ physical violence: Hitting with fists or another instrument Kicking or beating on the floor Trying or intending to strangle or burn Threaten or attack with a knife, gun or other weapon Sexual violencePhysically force woman to have sex or other sexual acts against her will Emotional violenceSay or do something to humiliate her in front of others Threaten to hurt or harm someone close to her Insult or demean the woman Source: DHS 2013-14 NB Definitions of violence for reference below:

27. A significant proportion of AGYW think a husband is justified in beating his wife for one or more reasons Attitudes towards violence varies by education level 91% of AGYW who have not studied believe that husbands may beat their wives if they neglect caring for children, while there are only 25% of AGYW with a university level education who hold the same view. Similarly, while half (50%) of non or little educated women think that it is normal for a husband to beat his wife if she refuses to have sex with him, there are only 7% of women with a university level who share the same opinion. 27 LA PÉPINIÈRE Source: DHS 2013-14 Is the husband justified in beating his wife if… (Kinshasa, women and men aged 15-24) Men and women were asked if they think it is justified for a husband to beat his wife in five different scenarios. In three scenarios, AGYW are more likely to think violence is justified than ABYM though: Nearly half (49%) AGYW aged 15-24 in Kinshasa think the husband is justified in beating his wife if she has neglected the children– compared to 39% ABYM. A lower proportion of AGYW aged 15-24 (45%) and a slightly higher proportion of ABYM (41%) think the husband is justified in beating his wife if she argues with him. Over a third of AGYW aged 15-24 (37%) and just under a third of ABYM (32%) think it is justified for the husband to beat his wife if she leaves without informing him. Proportions are slightly lower in two scenarios – if the wife refuses to have sex or if she burns the food. However, in these latter two scenarios men are more likely to think they are justified in beating their wife than women. 22% of ABYM and 17% of AGYW think the husband is justified in beating his wife if she refuses sex. 15% of ABYM and 11% of AGYW think it is justified for the husband to beat his wife if she burns the food.

28. EXPERIENCES, PERCEPTIONS & ASPIRATIONS OF AGYW (RESEARCH QUESTION 2) 28

29. The majority of AGYW aged 15-24 in Kinshasa aspire to find a salaried job The majority of AGYW (age 15-24) seeking their first job or those who seek to change their job aim for a salaried job (62%) compared to alternatives of self-employment (20%) and ‘informal work’ (18.1%). For ABYM (age 15-24), the proportion who seek a salaried job is even greater (82%) than AGYW. The proportion of those who aspire for work in the informal sector is also much lower (6%). There are two common reasons why AGYW and ABYM are seeking salaried employment: for job and wage security and in the hope that they would make more money than via the alternative options. 29 LA PÉPINIÈRE Reasons for choosing salaried employment for AGYW, Kinshasa (age 15-24) Reasons for choosing salaried employment for ABYM, Kinshasa (age 15-24) Source: Enquête 1-2-3 RDC, 2013 NB: Data is reported for ages 15-24 from all individual eligible men and women (married and unmarried).

30. FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT OF AGYW (RESEARCH QUESTIONS 3 AND 4) 30

31. When asked about participation in economic decision making with regards to areas such as household purchases or their husband’s earnings, around a quarter of married AGYW (age 15-24) in Kinshasa said they have no say. However, in DRC overall around half of married AGYW (age 15-24) have no say. Married AGYW have more say in economic decision making in Kinshasa than overall in DRC 31 LA PÉPINIÈRE The proportion of married AGYW (age 15-24) who have no say in decision making about household purchases is significantly higher (45%) across DRC as a whole than in Kinshasa (24%). The proportion of married AGYW (age 15-24) who are not involved in decision making or how to spend their partner’s earnings is twice as high in DRC overall (45%) than in Kinshasa (20%). The decision about healthcare for married AGYW (age 15-24 married) is made by the husband or partner alone for 51% of AGYW in Kinshasa and 59% of AGYW in DRC. Proportion of AGYW (age 15 to 24) who have no say in economic decision making DRCKinshasa Household purchases 45%24% Husband’s earnings 45%20% Healthcare 59%51% Source: DHS 2013-14 NB: Data is reported for individual eligible women aged 15-24 who are in union /married

32. Healthcare is the area where married AGYW in Kinshasa participate least in decision-making 32 LA PÉPINIÈRE Decision is made independently by the husband only (Kinshasa ) Decision is made jointly (Kinshasa ) Decisions about access to healthcare by the woman is the key area where husbands primarily take decisions. Between 86% and 47% of married AGYW (15-19 and 20-24) say that their healthcare is the decision of their husband only. The proportion of AGYW who say the ‘use of money for the spouse’ is decided on by ‘husband only’ is also high (between 42% and 17% of married AGYW) (15-19 and 20-24). It would appear that decisions regarding ‘shopping for the household’ are more likely to be made jointly than by either the husband or the wife independently. Between 65 and 51% of married AGYW (15-19 and 20-24) say that shopping for the household is a joint decision. ‘Use of own money’ appears to be one decision which is usually made by a married AGYW independently of her partner. Between 84% and 67% of married AGYW (15-19 and 20-24) say that use of their own money is their own decision. For family visits, the way the decision is made varies between households. Between 21% and 31% say decisions are made by the husband independently, between 4% and 33% say the decision is made jointly and between 70% and 35% say the decision is made by the AGYW independently. Source: DHS 2013-14 NB: Data is reported for individual eligible women aged 15-24 who are in union /married

33. Participation in decision-making is much lower for younger married AGYW The data suggest a shift in how decisions are made as a married AGYW gets older (from 15-19 to 20-24). For healthcare, the proportion of AGYW who say this decision is made by the ‘husband only’ shifts from 86% among AGYW aged 15 to 19 to 47% of AGYW aged 20 to 24. The same pattern occurs for decisions regarding ‘use of money for the spouse’ and decisions regarding ‘use of money own’. For example, ‘use of money for the spouse’, 42% of AGYW aged 15 to 19 say this decision is made by ‘the husband only’ compared to 17% of those aged 20 to 24. The drop in decisions being made by ‘husband only’ appears to stem from to more decisions being made jointly and, to some extent, more decisions being made independently by the wife. For example, for use of own money, no AGYW aged 15 to 19 indicated this decision was made jointly but this proportion jumps to 26% among AGYW aged 20 to 24. 33 LA PÉPINIÈRE Who makes the decisions in the household (Kinshasa, AGYW 15-19) Who makes the decisions in the household (Kinshasa, AGYW 20-24 ) Source: DHS 2013-14 NB: Data is reported for individual eligible women aged 15-24 who are in union /married

34. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT OF AGYW AND EMPOWERMENT IN OTHER DOMAINS (RESEARCH QUESTION 5) 34

35. The relationship between participation in economic decision-making and other variables 35 LA PÉPINIÈRE Source: DHS 2013-14 Three indicators were selected from within the DHS as most pertinent to La Pépinière for correlation analysis with economic decision-making in terms of AGYW’s wider empowerment. The following three indicators were chosen: attitudes towards conjugal violence, ability to refuse sex with their husbands or partners and ability to ask their husbands or partners to use a condom Married women (aged 15-49) in DRC already have: -High levels of tolerance to conjugal violence. 75% of women (aged 15-49) believe that in at least one on five scenarios, a husband is justified in beating his wife. -A low feeling of capability to refuse sex with their husbands or partners. 66% of women in a union (aged 15-49) say they can refuse a husband or partner sexual intercourse. -Low feeling of capability to request that their partner use a condom. Only 37% of women (aged 15-49) say yes when asked, ‘Could you ask your husband/ partner to use a condom if you wanted him to?’ Each of these indicators were analysed for correlation with the following four types of participation in economic decision making: how to spend respondent’s earnings, decisions on large household purchases, decisions on how to spend husband’s earnings and decisions on respondent’s healthcare

36. Married AGYW in DRC who participate in economic decision making have less tolerant attitudes to intimate partner violence 36 LA PÉPINIÈRE Economic empowerment is negatively correlated with tolerance of conjugal violence. For example, 72% of married AGYW aged 15-24 who participate in decision making about large household purchases feels that conjugal violence can be justified, compared to 80% of AGYW who do not participate in decision making about large household purchases. The correlation is strongest for decisions on respondent’s healthcare where 69% of married AGYW age 15-24 who participate in decision making about their own healthcare feel that conjugal violence can be justified, compared to 81% of women who do not participate in decision making about their own healthcare. Is beating ever justified? (Yes), AGYW (married, age 15- 24), DRC Source: DHS 2013-14 NB: Data is reported for individual eligible women aged 15-24 who are in union /married

37. Married AGYW who participate in economic decision making feel more able to refuse sex 37 LA PÉPINIÈRE Economic empowerment is correlated with a married AGYW aged 15-24 feeling more able to refuse sex with their husband or partner. For example, 69% of married AGYW age 15-24 who participate in decision making about how to spend their own earning’s feel able to refuse sex, compared to 63% of women who do not participate in decision making about their earnings. Respondent can refuse sex (Yes), AGYW (married, age 15-24), DRC Source: DHS 2013-14 Economic empowerment is correlated with a married AGYW aged 15-24 feeling more able to ask her partner to use a condom. For example, 40% of AGYW (married, age 15-24) who participate in decision making about how to spend their own earning’s feel able to request the use of a condom, compared to 31% of women who do not participate in decision making about their earnings. Respondent can ask partner to use condom (Yes), AGYW (married, age 15-24), DRC NB: Data is reported for individual eligible women aged 15-24 who are in union /married

38. IMPLICATIONS FOR LA PEPINIERE 38

39. Conclusions and areas for further research 39 LA PÉPINIÈRE This analysis provides some key headline data on the relative situation of AGYW and ABYM (mainly those aged 15-24) in Kinshasa and DRC overall in areas such as marriage status, household situation, education and employment status. It provides very limited data on AGYW in the younger age group targeted by La Pépinière (i.e 12-14 years) The regression analysis suggests a number of variables that influence levels of economic empowerment of AGYW (measured by economic decision-making power) and need to be investigated further: living in a better off family, living in a smaller household, possessing assets, being literate, being older, having an independent income. This analysis alongside other preliminary studies conducted also raise further questions and areas for research: Further work on the definition of the variable ‘economic empowerment’ Further research on the different structural (e.g. possession of economic assets), social (e.g. norms, social capital) and personal factors (self esteem, personal capacities) that facilitate or impede economic empowerment. More research on intra-household dynamics and how these affect possibilities for AGYW. More research on the impact of marriage as a factor which can facilitate and impede empowerment in different ways – for example, what are the reasons that some married AGYW do not work? Research into the impacts on AGYW of combining studies and economic activities. Further research on trading networks that AGYW are involved in and the pathways of those who have succeeded. More data on the participation of AGYW in the formal sector – What types of work? Levels of exploitation? Pathways to obtain a formal sector job? Barriers and enabling factors? Research into how AGYW spend their income and who is involved in these decisions Further research on the risks of empowerment for AGYW (e.g. household tensions, violence, stigmatisation)

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