Ibitola O. Asaolu|Halimatou Alaofè|Jayleen K. L. Gunn|Akosua Adu|Amanda J. Monroy|John E. Ehiri|Mary H. Hayden|Kacey C. Ernst
Measuring Women's Empowerment in Sub-Saharan Africa: Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses of the Demographic and Health Surveys
University of Arizona|University of Arizona|University of Arizona|University of Kentucky|University of Arizona|University of Arizona|National Center for Atmospheric Research|University of Arizona
background womens status empowerment influence health nutrition socioeconomic status women children despite benefits however research womens empowerment subsaharan africa ssa limited scope geography empowerment variably defined data comparison across regions often limited objective current study identify domains empowerment widely available data source demographic health surveys across multiple regions subsaharan africa methods demographic health surveys nineteen countries representing four african regions used analysis total 26 indicators across different dimensions economic sociocultural education health used characterize womens empowerment pooled data countries randomly divided two datasetsone exploratory factor analysis efa confirmatory factor analysis cfato verify factor structure hypothesized efa results four factors including attitudes towards violence labor force participation education access healthcare found define womens empowerment central southern west africa however east africa three factors relevant attitudes towards violence access healthcare ranking labor force participation limited evidence support household decisionmaking life course legal status domains components womens empowerment conclusion foremost study advances scholarship womens empowerment providing validated measure womens empowerment researchers stakeholders health development