Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment

Gender Equality and Womens Empowerment
Why Measure Gender Inequality and Womens Empowerment in NFHS-3?

Important public health consequences for women and childrenStrategic theme Theme: Empowering women for improved health and nutrition Millennium Development Goals 3 & 4 Promote gender equality and empower women Eliminate gender disparity in education
Why Measure Gender Inequality and Womens Empowerment in NFHS-3?

Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education preferably by 2005, and at all levels by 2015 Four specific indicators: Ratio of girls to boys in primary, secondary, and tertiary education Ratio of literate women to men 15-24 years old Share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural sector Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments
Content of Presentation
Selected indicators of gender disparity Access and control over resources Womens decision making role Freedom of movement Acceptance of gender unequal norms
Gender Disparity in Literacy

Age 15-49 20-24 15-19 Sex Male Female Male Female Male Female Literacy rate (%) 78 55 84 64 89 74
Gender Disparity 29% 23% 17%
Gender Disparity in Higher Secondary School Completion

Age % with 12+ years of Gender schooling Disparity 20 12 23 15 27 39% 36% 29%
15-49 25-29 20-24
Sex Male Female Male Female Male
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 Women Gender Disparity
88% 71% 19%
Percent
Employment: Another Area of Gender Disparity

87 79
43 29
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
E m plo yed
Female share of population employed for cash in non-agricultural occupations is 22% Em p loyed for cash
W o m en M en
The majority of employed women are engaged in agricultural work

Type of worker Occupational Distribution (%) Women Men
Professional Sales Service Production Agricultural Other
7 4 7 22 59 2
7 14 5 37 33 4
Does employment empower women financially?

NFHS-3 asked married employed women and men who controlled their own earnings and who controlled the spouses 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
Control over Womens Earnings as Reported by Currently Married Women Percent Men and
Womens report about their own earnings
15
Mens report about their wifes earnings

16
Mainly husband
57
Husband & wife jointly
63
24
Mainly wife
20
Are some women more likely than others to NOT participate in the use of their earnings?
39
Percent of currently married women
21
13
21
21
10 6 8
15-19
40-49
Urban
Rural
None
12+
Lowest
Highest
Age
Residence
Education
Wealth Index
Do married women have access to any other financial resources?

Percentage of women who:
Participate in decision on how husband's earnings are used Have money which they can decide how to use Have a bank or savings account that they themselve use Have taken loan from microcredit program 68
45
15
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
B lo gtoth h h s e n e ig e t w a q in e lth u tile
5 6
Aee p y dfo c s r m lo e r ah
5 5
H v 1 +y a se u a n a e 2 e r d c tio
6 0
Do married women participate in other household decision making?

Decisions Make decision alone or jointly with husband
Own health care Making major household purchases Making purchases for daily household needs Visits to her family or relatives All four None of above
62 53 60 61 37 21
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
46 45 41 39 45
Age 40-49
Urban
12+ yrs of education
Employed Wealthiest
What are some of the other hurdles that prevent women from attaining gender equality?
Limited freedom of movement Gender norms that promote mens control over women. NFHS-3 asked women and men questions about norms regarding

Wife beating A husbands right to have sex with his wife irrespective of his wifes wishes
Percentage of women age 15-49 who are allowed to go alone to:

M arket H ealth facility P laces outside the village/com unity m A three places ll N one of the three places
4 33 38 51 48
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.
Percentage who agree that a husband is justified in hitting or beating his wife if she: 37
Shows disrespect for in-laws
41
He suspects she is unfaithful Doesnt cook properly Refuses to have sex Argues with him Neglects the house or children Goes out without telling him At least one reason
8 13 14
24 25 20
Women
26 30 29 23 29 51 54 35
Men
Percentage who agree with at least one reason for wife beating Women
Age 15-19 Urban 12+ years education Employed for cash Wealthiest Delhi: A highly urbanized state 53 44 31 59 37 32
Men
57 43 34 62 35 28
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
Percentage who agree that a wife is justified in refusing to have sex with her husband when she:
Attitude towards refusing sex with husband by Situation, Women and Men
Women
Knows husband has a sexually transm itted disease Knows husband has sex w ith other w en om Is tire or not in the m d ood All reasons
68 70
Men
78 82 79 79 77 84
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% A
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.

Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment

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Gender Equality and Womens Empowerment

Why Measure Gender Inequality and Womens Empowerment in NFHS-3?

Why Measure Gender Inequality and Womens Empowerment in NFHS-3?

Gender Disparity in Literacy

Gender Disparity 29% 23% 17%

Gender Disparity in Higher Secondary School Completion

15-49 25-29 20-24

Sex Male Female Male Female Male

Gender Disparity in Media Exposure

Men Women Gender Disparity

88% 71% 19%

Employment: Another Area of Gender Disparity

The majority of employed women are engaged in agricultural work

Professional Sales Service Production Agricultural Other

Does employment empower women financially?

Mens report about their wifes earnings

Husband & wife jointly

Do married women have access to any other financial resources?

Do married women participate in other household decision making?

12+ yrs of education

Percentage of women age 15-49 who are allowed to go alone to:

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