1. 36th Annual conference of IASP
A comparative Study of some common Indicators of Women’s Empowerment in Nigeria and Uttar Pradesh (India) using NDHS-2008 and NFHS-3 data.
Asabe Ibrahim1, Prof. Sushama Tripathi2, Dr Alok Kumar3
1. Research Scholar, Department of Statistics (BHU).
2. Professor, Department of Statistics, BHU.
3. Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicines (IMS-BHU).
Introduction
Results and Findings
Results and Findings Cont.
Nigeria
Uttar Pradesh
Human race is like a two-winged bird. One wing is female the other wing is male. Unless both wings are equally developed, the human race will not be able to fly.
Women constitute a very significant and indispensable portion of the population across the world, but many developing countries have not yet fully appreciate the important roles women can play in the transformation of their countries when fully empowered.
Asaju and Adagba (2013) said the progress and development of any nation is contributed by the women in the society. As such women can be seen as a tool for positive change, depending on how well they are treated and the level of opportunities given to them to actualise their potentials.
The struggle to empower women should be done at every level and it should overcome the barriers of caste, tribe, class, race, region, religion and the likes. We have to accept the fact that things are not going to change overnight, and we cannot stop taking action either.
Empowerment is defined in several ways depending on the purpose or usage of the term. It can be referred to as “the process by which the powerless gain greater control over the circumstances of their lives.
Percent Distribution of indicators of women’s empowerment.
Odds Ratio and of Logistic Regression of women autonomy by various covariates
CHARACTERISTICS
NIGERIA
UTTAR PRADESH (INDIA)
ODDS RATIO
95% CI
RESPONDENT AGE
(REF)
yrs
1.154*
1.930**
1.633**
2.745**
AGE AT MARRIAGE
0.993
1.175
1.158
1.336*
AGE AT 1ST BIRTH
1.025
0.755*
0.623
0.792*
PARTNER'S AGE
< 40YRS
> 40YRS
0.937
1.226**
TYPE OF RESIDENCE
Rural (REF)
Urban
1.292**
0.457**
RESPONDENT LEVEL OF EDUCATION
No education (REF)
Primary education
1.721**
1.155
Secondary/Higher education
1.974**
1.158*
PARTNER'S LEVEL OF EDUCATION
1.506**
1.098
1.402**
1.01
HUSBAND/WIFE AGE GAP
UP TO 5 YEARS (REF)
MORE THAN 5 YEARS
0.633**
1.007
HUSBAND/WIFE EDUCATION GAP
< 5 YEARS (REF)
5+ YEARS
0.351**
0.856**
Low (REF)
Middle
1.251**
0.848*
High
1.375**
0.739**
PARITY
0 - 2 Children (REF)
3 - 5 children
1.039
1.975**
More than 5 children
1.036
2.094**
Results of Logistic regression by background characteristics
CHARACTERISTICS
DECISION MAKING
WIFE BEATING
REFUSING SEXUAL INTERCOURSE
Odds Ratio (CI)
RESPONDENT AGE
NIG UP
yrs
1.543**( )
2.1853**( )
0.723**( )
1.063( )
1.084( )
1.33*( )
yrs
2.813**( )
3.376**( )
0.624**( )
1.101( )
1.211*( )
1.325*( )
TYPE OF RESIDENCE
Urban
1.280**( )
0.367**( )
1.209**( )
2.140**( )
1.135*( )
0.691**( )
PARTNER'S LEVEL OF EDUCATION
Primary education
1.652**( )
1.029( )
0.988( )
0.971( )
1.243**( )
1.459**( )
Secondary/Higher education
1.561**( )
0.814*( )
0.937( )
0.997( )
1.348**( )
1.699**( )
COUPLE'S AGE GAP
MORE THAN 5 YEARS
0.674**( )
1.161**( )
1.030( )
1.004( )
1.047( )
0.816**( )
HUSBAND/WIFE EDUCATION GAP
5+ YEARS
1.074( )
0.865*( )
1.079( )
1.213*( )
0.839( )
0.962( )
STANDARD OF LIVING
Middle
1.419**( )
0.840*(
0.935( )
0.922( )
1.073( )
1.050( )
High
1.545**( )
0.691**( )
0.632**( )
0.655**( )
1.326**( )
1.257*( )
PARITY
3 - 5 children
0.971( )
2.153**( )
1.118( )
1.263**( )
1.039( )
1.177*( )
More than 5 children
0.818*( )
2.732**( )
1.423**( )
1.676**( )
1.049( )
0.753*( )
Need for the Study
A comparative scientific study enable us understand the differences and commonalities between the two populations.
Such a study will help us to establish whether international agenda on women’s empowerment differs in execution in the two populations and the extent this may occur.
A comparative study can show the extent to which some demographic and socio-economic variables such as age, education level, work status, standard of living and other developmental variables affects women’s empowerment in different cultures and backgrounds.
This study, therefore, examined and compared women’s empowerment in two populations (Nigeria and Uttar Pradesh (India).
Background characteristics by Women’s empowerment indicators
Nigeria
Uttar Pradesh
to explore, examine and compare some major indicators of women’s empowerment that are common to the two- study populations.
to determine the level of women empowerment in the two population using the women empowerment index (WEI).
Objective: The specific objectives of this study are
Conclusions
Women’s autonomy increases by their age, education, standard of living, in Nigeria and Uttar Pradesh (India).
Majority of women in the two populations does not justify to wife beating by husband.
More than 50% of the women considered in the study justified refusing sexual intercourse based on the stated reasons.
The Women Empowerment Index value obtained signifies that women in Nigeria are slightly less empowered than those in Uttar Pradesh(India)
Data and Methodology
The data used for this study is the 2008 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), and the 2005/06 India National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3).
Indicators of women’s empowerment :
Decision making (DMP); Attitude towards wife beating (AWB), and Attitude towards refusing sexual intercourse (RSI) – Dependent Variable
Currently married women aged years were considered in the analysis.
Socio and Demographic variables:
Age of respondent, age at marriage, age at 1st birth, number of children, residence, educational status, and wealth status – Independent variables
Cross tabulation was used for Bivariate analysis, and multivariate analysis is carried out by the help of logistic regression.
WEI for each population was computed by the relation given as WEI = α* HDMP+β*ATWB+γ*ARSI
References
Acharya D.R, Women's autonomy in household decision-making: a demographic study in Nepal. Reproductive Health
Chung. D. B, Kantachote. K, Mallick. A, Polster.R, Roets. K, Indicators of Women’s Empowerment in Developing Nations, Workshop in International Public Affairs Spring Haque . M.M, et al, Women Empowerment or Autonomy: A Comparative view in Bangladesh Context, Bangladesh e-Journal of Sociology, Volume 8, Number 2. July 2011.