SlideShare a Scribd company logo
Autonomy in the WEAI
Sabina Alkire, IFPRI/USAID meeting
27 May 2015
Survey options – background
• The Global MPI uses 39 questions of the 625 in an
average DHS. However those 39 questions gather
information in addition to that used in the MPI. It takes
quite a bit of time.
• OPHI have also made a ‘MPI-lite’ survey for NGOs and
institutions that only want to use the survey data to
construct an MPI. Changes include: shortened response
structure, precise definitions. Cut in time is more than
50%.
• Both have the same indicators, weights, and cutoffs.
How to measure women’s agency
• Increasing women’s voice and agency is widely
recognized as a key strategy to reduce gender inequalities
and improve development outcomes.
• “New indicators on agency are needed”
Voice and Agency: Empowering Women and Girls for Shared Prosperity.
Klugman et al. 2014
• Existing measures are seen to be seriously flawed in terms
of comparability, policy relevance, and monitoring.
Decision-making
and Autonomy
constitute
‘Production’
Domain
- In the mid-term review, Autonomy was a ‘top’ contributor
to disempowerment in 4 countries (Nepal, Tajikistan,
Haiti, Liberia).
- Input in productive decisions was the top contributor to
disempowerment in 1 country (Liberia).
Malapit et al. (2014) Measuring Progress towards Empowerment.
WEAI Baseline Report
5
In the mid-term review, Autonomy contributed more than
decision-making to productive decisions in 5 countries; had
roughly equal contributions in 3 countries, and contributed
less in 5 countries. The contribution of Production to
WEAI will change, in some cases dramatically, if
Autonomy is dropped and only decision-making used.
Malapit et al. (2014) Measuring Progress towards Empowerment.
WEAI Baseline Report
6
Decision-making
• Furthermore, there are concerns whether decision-
making will change over time, or is a stock variable.
• Inertia and consistency A DHS study across 23 countries of decision making
reported: ‘a surprising amount of consistency across countries in the type of
decisions in which women participate.’ (Can FtF improve it? Stock/flow)
• Contextual rather than Comparable: The DHS report concluded: “This
makes it difficult to treat decisionmaking as a single indicator of
empowerment; to treat participation of any type in one decision as being similar
to participation of the same type in any other decision; and, for a given decision,
to treat participation of one type as equivalent to participation of another type.
Thus, if women‘s participation in decisionmaking is to be used as an indicator of
empowerment, theory and context must drive the definition of what type of
decisionmaking in what type of decisions constitutes empowerment.”
Decision-making
• There are concerns about this indicator:
– Do not capture constraints to agency that might arise
outside the household; only reflects intra-hh constraints.
– Not suitable to female headed-households (by definition, all
female-household are empowered in decision-making)
– Do not see whether a woman values making all decisions or
prefers her partner to do this particular job.
– Women’s and Men’s responses don’t match, raising questions
about accuracy. (Seymour) (non-sampling measurement
error).
In Sum: concerns for only using
decision-making in WEAI.
1. The Contribution of Production to WEAI will change
considerably in at least 10 countries.
2. Deprivations in Production will be much less visible
in over one-third of countries.
3. It is not clear whether decision-making will monitor
or show improvements from Feed the Future: it may
be a stock variable.
4. Interpretation of decision-making is well-known to
require deep contextual nuance.
What about autonomy?
1. There were concerns in the pilot tests regarding
autonomy, because it was unfamiliar to enumerators.
2. This led to online resources to support WEAI survey
teams, with mixed uptake and success.
3. Cognitive tests of WEAI showed a balance of benefits
and issues, and suggested avenues for review.
4. The Vignettes were developed based on experience to
date with Autonomy, and consultations with other
experts on SDT.
Autonomy
• The Vignettes appear to have solved the key issue from cognitive
explorations.
• (Material taken from 12 Dec 2014 presentation by Katie Sproule & Chiara Kovarik)
• Large discrepancies in percentage of respondents who found the question difficult
themselves versus how difficult they thought others would find it. In Uganda,
between 7-14% said they found the questions difficult, versus 29-60% saying they
thought others would find the questions difficult. In Bangladesh, very few
respondents noted these questions as being difficult to answer but between 29-
39% said they thought others would find the question difficult.
• Modification: Better training of enumerators
• Results of modification: In Uganda, the rates dropped dramatically for the second
round of cognitive interviews with just one respondent (3.1%) reporting difficulty
and only 3.1-12.5% of respondents saying others would have difficulty. In
Bangladesh respondents again did not find questions difficult and the number of
respondents reporting others would find it difficult dropped.
•
p. 11
Autonomy
• Cognitive testing for both 1.1 autonomy
questions and 2.0 vignettes
• Two-part process for asking autonomy questions
– 1.1 process implemented by enumerators but not
reflected in questionnaire
– 2.0 process is included in questionnaire
• Field teams’ feedback
– Took longer to implement (Ban: 16 mins, Uga: 8 mins),
but respondents enjoyed stories (help build rapport?)
– Field teams think the vignettes are better understood
than the original, more concrete
p. 12
The RAI: designed to measure change
• The Relative Autonomy Index (RAI) is a measure
of motivational autonomy developed by
psychologists working in Self-Determination
Theory, and is extensively documented.
(Chirkov, Ryan, & Deci, 2011; Ryan and Deci, 2000, 2012).
• The RAI was designed to monitor change, and its
ability to do so is widely confirmed
• The RAI is domain-specific, as are measures of
women’s empowerment.
Autonomy: part of a huge literature of
‘Self-Determination Theory’
Theoretical and Research Reviews
SDT Books
Basic Psychological Needs
Causality Orientations
Development and Parenting
Intrinsic Motivation
Goals, Values, and Aspirations
Internalization and Self-regulatory Styles
Mindfulness
Motivation and Self-Determination across
Cultures
Nonconscious Process and Priming
Well-being and Eudaimonia
Relationships
Self and Self-Esteem
Vitality and Energy
Biological and Neuropsychological
Education
Nature and Environmental Sustainability
Health Care
Organizations and Work
Marketing
Psychopathology
Psychotherapy and Counseling
Physical Activity and Exercise
Physical Education
Virtual Environment and Video games
Autonomy and Analysis
Academic studies on autonomy associated with WEAI and
available on its website have found interesting and policy-
relevant insights. It is hoped that other studies of WEAI
light might find other such policy relevant insights.
Bangladesh: Adds new information
• Examines the conceptual validity and reliability of Autonomy and
its scale in rural areas, and finds positive results.
• Investigates to if autonomy adds information:
– Neither age, education, nor income, are suitable proxies for
autonomy
– Women’s autonomy is often related to their occupation (might
Feed the Future may visibly affect autonomy of women farmers?)
– Not the same as decision-making: No robust evidence that the
decision-making indicator “feel can make decisions”, empowerment
indicator “power to make decisions”, and domain-specific indicator
“satisfaction with decisions made” constitute valid proxies for
autonomy
– Vaz, Alkire, Quisumbing and Sraboni (2014)
Nepal: Autonomy & Maternal/Child Outcomes
• ‘Women’s autonomy in production and hours worked
improve maternal and children’s dietary diversity and
height for age.
• ‘The positive and highly significant correlation between
women’s autonomy in agricultural production and nearly all
maternal and child outcomes is consistent with bargaining
models that suggest that individuals who have greater
decisionmaking power in the household receive a larger share
of the benefits from household resources, including nutritious
food.’
• Malapit, Kadiyala, Quisumbing, Cunningham, and Tyagi. 2013 ‘Women’s
Empowerment in Agriculture, Production Diversity, and Nutrition: Evidence
from Nepal.’ IFPRI Discussion Paper 01313.
Non-WEAI study in Chad
• Vaz, Pratley and Alkire (2014)
– Nationally representative data from Chad
– Highlights gender disparity: Women on average are
significantly less autonomously motivated across all domains
than men.
– Adds information: Neither education nor income are
reasonable proxies for women’s motivational autonomy.
– Community effects: Evidence that motivational autonomy at
the community-level is associated with likelihood of women’s
exclusive breastfeeding.
“What gets measured gets done”
If we keep Autonomy ~
1. The Measurement of Production will be more
balanced, less subject to measurement errors in decision-
making or autonomy.
2. It is likely that Autonomy indicators will monitor
improvements due to Feed the Future interventions.
3. Autonomy will capture the situation of female
households, and will reflect structural constraints.
4. National household surveys would then have a new and
better measure of women’s empowerment, which can be
applied to other domains also.
Thanks!
Autonomy in WEAI (1)
• Domains considered:
– Getting inputs for agricultural production
– Types of crops to grow for agricultural production
– Taking crops to the market (or not)
– Livestock raising
• Autonomy in production: individual is adequate if RAI>1
in AT LEAST ONE of the domains.
Autonomy in WEAI (2)
• Vignettes
STORY QUESTION
The types of
crops to
grow
“[PERSON’S NAME] can’t grow other types of crops here for consumption
and sale in market. Beans, sweet potato and maize are the only crops that grow
here.”
Are you like
this person?
“[PERSON’S NAME] is a farmer and grows beans, sweet potato, and maize
because her spouse, or another person or group in her community tells her she
must grow these crops. She does what they tell her to do.”
Are you like
this person?
“[PERSON’S NAME] grows the crops for agricultural production that her
family or community expect. She wants them to approve of her as a good farmer.”
Are you like
this person?
“[PERSON’S NAME] chooses the crops that she personally wants to grow for
consumption and sale in market and thinks are best for her family and business.
She values growing these crops. If she changed her mind, she could act differently.”
Are you like
this person?
Autonomy in WEAI (2)
STORY QUESTION
Taking crops
to the
market
“There is no alternative to how much or how little of her crops [PERSON’S
NAME] can take to the market. She is taking the only possible amount.”
Are you like
this person?
“[PERSON’S NAME] takes crops to the market because her spouse, or
another person or group in her community tell her she must sell them there. She
does what they tell her to do.”
Are you like
this person?
“[PERSON’S NAME] takes the crops to the market that her family or
community expect. She wants them to approve of her as a good business woman.”
Are you like
this person?
“[PERSON’S NAME] chooses to take the crops to market that she personally
wants to sell there, and thinks is best for her family and business. She values this
approach to sales. If she changed her mind, she could act differently.”
Are you like
this person?
Autonomy in WEAI (2)
STORY QUESTION
Livestock
raising
“[PERSON’S NAME] can’t raise any livestock other than what she has.
These are all that’s available.”
Are you like
this person?
“[PERSON’S NAME] raises the types of livestock she does because her
spouse, or another person or group in her community tell her she must use these
breeds. She does what they tell her to do.”
Are you like
this person?
“[PERSON’S NAME] buys the kinds of livestock that her family or
community expect. She wants them to approve of her as a good livestock raiser.”
Are you like
this person?
“[PERSON’S NAME] chooses the types of livestock that she personally wants
to raise and thinks are good for her family and business. She values raising these
types. If she changed her mind, she could act differently.”
Are you like
this person?

More Related Content

PDF
Youth Participatory Evaluations
PPTX
Measurement of Empowerment: Critiques and Innovation from Development Economics
PPTX
The Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI): Quantitative and qualit...
PPTX
Unpacking the “Gender Box”: Identifying the Gender Dimensions of Your Research
PDF
Present Situation of Women Empowerment in Bangladesh
PPTX
Indicators of gendered control over agricultural resources
PPTX
What does it mean to make a joint decision? Unpacking intra-household decisio...
PPTX
Roger Weissberg Slides
Youth Participatory Evaluations
Measurement of Empowerment: Critiques and Innovation from Development Economics
The Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI): Quantitative and qualit...
Unpacking the “Gender Box”: Identifying the Gender Dimensions of Your Research
Present Situation of Women Empowerment in Bangladesh
Indicators of gendered control over agricultural resources
What does it mean to make a joint decision? Unpacking intra-household decisio...
Roger Weissberg Slides

What's hot (18)

PDF
Gender training workshop for iita 4 gender mainstreaming
PPTX
Asif kabani gender mainstreaming strategy towards documenting good practice a...
PDF
Gender training workshop for iita 5 g ender analysis copy day 2
PPT
Gender Mainstreaming Through Education
PPTX
Building young people's capacity around gender equality and livelihoods: the ...
PPTX
Towards Gender Equality: A critical assessment of evidence on social safety n...
PPT
Strategy and plan of action for mainstreaming gender in ILRI
PPTX
Gender mainstreaming-in-electoral-process-pakistan
PDF
Mashiur rahman
PPT
Gender Mainstreaming
PPT
MARIE WADE Research PowerPoint
PPT
Public leadership tcm257-203089
PPTX
Final presentation
PPTX
Jenny Roe - Natural Solutions to Tackling Behavior & Performance in Urban Sch...
PPTX
Debiasing milad ghasemi amirhosein mosayebi
DOCX
Research Analysis_revised 11_12
PDF
Circle Program Final Report (1)
PPTX
Pic talk
Gender training workshop for iita 4 gender mainstreaming
Asif kabani gender mainstreaming strategy towards documenting good practice a...
Gender training workshop for iita 5 g ender analysis copy day 2
Gender Mainstreaming Through Education
Building young people's capacity around gender equality and livelihoods: the ...
Towards Gender Equality: A critical assessment of evidence on social safety n...
Strategy and plan of action for mainstreaming gender in ILRI
Gender mainstreaming-in-electoral-process-pakistan
Mashiur rahman
Gender Mainstreaming
MARIE WADE Research PowerPoint
Public leadership tcm257-203089
Final presentation
Jenny Roe - Natural Solutions to Tackling Behavior & Performance in Urban Sch...
Debiasing milad ghasemi amirhosein mosayebi
Research Analysis_revised 11_12
Circle Program Final Report (1)
Pic talk
Ad

Viewers also liked (20)

PDF
We’re not asking, we’re telling: An inventory of practices promoting the dign...
PDF
Housing Vulnerability and Health: Canada’s Hidden Emergency
PDF
Poverty Amongst Plenty: Waiting for the Yukon Government to Adopt a Poverty R...
PDF
Housing first - Where is the evidence?
PPT
[Gender Methods Seminar] The Impact of Microfinance on Factors Empowering Wom...
PPTX
Building a Project WEAI
PPT
Delia Grace: Gender-sensitive participatory risk assessment for food safety
PDF
[IFPRI Gender Methods Seminar] Liquid milk: Cash Constraints and the Timing o...
PDF
Tapping Irrigation’s Potential for Women’s Empowerment: Findings from Ethiopi...
PPTX
Elizabeth Bryan: Linkages between irrigation nutrition health and gender
PPTX
Empowerment and agricultural production: Evidence from the WEAI in Niger
PPTX
Kelly Jones: The Intersection of Health and Agriculture through a Gender Lens
PDF
Gender and climate change introduction (Elizabeth Bryan)
PPTX
Building a WEAI for project use: Overview of GAAP2 for pro-WEAI
PPTX
[IFPRI Gender Methods Seminar] Gender and Collective Lands: Good practices an...
PPTX
What's measured, matters: Lessons from the WEAI - GAAP2 Inception Workshop
PDF
Gender differences in awareness and adoption of climate-smart agricultural pr...
PPTX
Gender, Agriculture, and Environment: From "Zombie Facts" to Evidence
PPTX
Women's Empowerment on Health and Nutrition Domains
PPTX
Value Chains for Nutrition in Rural India: investigating barriers among women
We’re not asking, we’re telling: An inventory of practices promoting the dign...
Housing Vulnerability and Health: Canada’s Hidden Emergency
Poverty Amongst Plenty: Waiting for the Yukon Government to Adopt a Poverty R...
Housing first - Where is the evidence?
[Gender Methods Seminar] The Impact of Microfinance on Factors Empowering Wom...
Building a Project WEAI
Delia Grace: Gender-sensitive participatory risk assessment for food safety
[IFPRI Gender Methods Seminar] Liquid milk: Cash Constraints and the Timing o...
Tapping Irrigation’s Potential for Women’s Empowerment: Findings from Ethiopi...
Elizabeth Bryan: Linkages between irrigation nutrition health and gender
Empowerment and agricultural production: Evidence from the WEAI in Niger
Kelly Jones: The Intersection of Health and Agriculture through a Gender Lens
Gender and climate change introduction (Elizabeth Bryan)
Building a WEAI for project use: Overview of GAAP2 for pro-WEAI
[IFPRI Gender Methods Seminar] Gender and Collective Lands: Good practices an...
What's measured, matters: Lessons from the WEAI - GAAP2 Inception Workshop
Gender differences in awareness and adoption of climate-smart agricultural pr...
Gender, Agriculture, and Environment: From "Zombie Facts" to Evidence
Women's Empowerment on Health and Nutrition Domains
Value Chains for Nutrition in Rural India: investigating barriers among women
Ad

Similar to Why Measure Autonomy? (20)

PPTX
Women's Empowerment in Agriculture Index - IFPRI Gender Methods Seminar
PPTX
What works for gender norm change? Enhancing gender inclusive agricultural de...
PPTX
Seven Steps to EnGendering Evaluations of Public Health Programs
PPTX
Training Session 1 - Peterman - Measuring and Analyzing Decision-making in De...
PPTX
Overview of institutional gender audit report
PPTX
Evaluating the impacts of livestock microcredit and value chain programs on w...
PDF
Want to Integrate Gender in your Evaluation but Don’t Know Where to Start?
PDF
The Women's Empowerment in Agricultre Index (English)
PPTX
Scaling-up GBC Interventions Using Organization Barrier Analysis_Cloninger_5....
PPTX
WEAI Seminar for IFPRI Malawi June 12, 2019
PDF
Collecting sex disaggregated agricultural data through surveys
PPTX
How Family Responsibility Affect Women Leaders
PPTX
Gender Effects of Social Protection
PPTX
Developing Measures of Women’s Reproductive Empowerment in Sub-Saharan Afric...
PPTX
Project SEED - Day 1 - Part I
PDF
Addressing gender-in-impact-evaluation
PPTX
Epe talk for Supervisors
PPTX
Advanced Techniques for Incorporating Gender Analysis in Economics Research
PPTX
Engendering evaluation
PPTX
Gender capacity for the small ruminant value chain in Ethiopia: Current statu...
Women's Empowerment in Agriculture Index - IFPRI Gender Methods Seminar
What works for gender norm change? Enhancing gender inclusive agricultural de...
Seven Steps to EnGendering Evaluations of Public Health Programs
Training Session 1 - Peterman - Measuring and Analyzing Decision-making in De...
Overview of institutional gender audit report
Evaluating the impacts of livestock microcredit and value chain programs on w...
Want to Integrate Gender in your Evaluation but Don’t Know Where to Start?
The Women's Empowerment in Agricultre Index (English)
Scaling-up GBC Interventions Using Organization Barrier Analysis_Cloninger_5....
WEAI Seminar for IFPRI Malawi June 12, 2019
Collecting sex disaggregated agricultural data through surveys
How Family Responsibility Affect Women Leaders
Gender Effects of Social Protection
Developing Measures of Women’s Reproductive Empowerment in Sub-Saharan Afric...
Project SEED - Day 1 - Part I
Addressing gender-in-impact-evaluation
Epe talk for Supervisors
Advanced Techniques for Incorporating Gender Analysis in Economics Research
Engendering evaluation
Gender capacity for the small ruminant value chain in Ethiopia: Current statu...

More from IFPRI Gender (14)

PPTX
WEAI for GIZ
PPTX
Pro-WEAI overview - Spanish
PPTX
Improving women’s empowerment survey questions for agricultural value chains:...
PPTX
Women’s empowerment in agriculture: Lessons from qualitative research
PPTX
The Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI)
PPTX
Understanding Empowerment among Retailers in the Informal Milk Sector in Peri...
PPT
IFPRI Gender Breakfast with CARE and WorldFish: Measuring Gender-Transformati...
PPTX
The Abbreviated WEAI (A-WEAI) - GAAP2 Inception Workshop
PDF
How female (and male) farmers are changing their practices in the face of cha...
PPTX
The WEAI Forward
PPTX
Why did WEAI change? And how?
PPTX
The WEAI: Conception to Adolescence
PPTX
Welcome and WEAI Timeline
PPTX
IFPRI Gender Methods Seminar, May 28, 2015: Women's Empowerment in Agricultur...
WEAI for GIZ
Pro-WEAI overview - Spanish
Improving women’s empowerment survey questions for agricultural value chains:...
Women’s empowerment in agriculture: Lessons from qualitative research
The Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI)
Understanding Empowerment among Retailers in the Informal Milk Sector in Peri...
IFPRI Gender Breakfast with CARE and WorldFish: Measuring Gender-Transformati...
The Abbreviated WEAI (A-WEAI) - GAAP2 Inception Workshop
How female (and male) farmers are changing their practices in the face of cha...
The WEAI Forward
Why did WEAI change? And how?
The WEAI: Conception to Adolescence
Welcome and WEAI Timeline
IFPRI Gender Methods Seminar, May 28, 2015: Women's Empowerment in Agricultur...

Recently uploaded (20)

PDF
About Karen Miner-Romanoff - Academic & nonprofit consultant
PPTX
PCCR-ROTC-UNIT-ORGANIZATIONAL-STRUCTURE-pptx-Copy (1).pptx
PDF
Item # 4 -- 328 Albany St. compt. review
PPTX
The DFARS - Part 250 - Extraordinary Contractual Actions
PDF
PPT Item #s 2&3 - 934 Patterson SUP & Final Review
PPTX
Social_Medias_Parents_Education_PPT.pptx
PDF
Item # 3 - 934 Patterson Final Review.pdf
PDF
PPT - Primary Rules of Interpretation (1).pdf
PDF
buyers sellers meeting of mangoes in mahabubnagar.pdf
PPTX
The DFARS - Part 251 - Use of Government Sources By Contractors
PDF
CXPA Finland Webinar - Modern Components of Service Quality - Alec Dalton - ...
PPTX
Introduction_to_the_Study_of_Globalization.pptx
PDF
Items # 6&7 - 900 Cambridge Oval Right-of-Way
PDF
Abhay Bhutada Foundation’s Integration With SEBI's 2021 ESG Guidelines
PPTX
GOVERNMENT-ACCOUNTING1. bsa 4 government accounting
PDF
Item # 5 - 5307 Broadway St final review
PPTX
Nur Shakila Assesmentlwemkf;m;mwee f.pptx
PPTX
Vocational Education for educational purposes
PDF
Abhay Bhutada and Other Visionary Leaders Reinventing Governance in India
PPTX
Weekly Report 17-10-2024_cybersecutity.pptx
About Karen Miner-Romanoff - Academic & nonprofit consultant
PCCR-ROTC-UNIT-ORGANIZATIONAL-STRUCTURE-pptx-Copy (1).pptx
Item # 4 -- 328 Albany St. compt. review
The DFARS - Part 250 - Extraordinary Contractual Actions
PPT Item #s 2&3 - 934 Patterson SUP & Final Review
Social_Medias_Parents_Education_PPT.pptx
Item # 3 - 934 Patterson Final Review.pdf
PPT - Primary Rules of Interpretation (1).pdf
buyers sellers meeting of mangoes in mahabubnagar.pdf
The DFARS - Part 251 - Use of Government Sources By Contractors
CXPA Finland Webinar - Modern Components of Service Quality - Alec Dalton - ...
Introduction_to_the_Study_of_Globalization.pptx
Items # 6&7 - 900 Cambridge Oval Right-of-Way
Abhay Bhutada Foundation’s Integration With SEBI's 2021 ESG Guidelines
GOVERNMENT-ACCOUNTING1. bsa 4 government accounting
Item # 5 - 5307 Broadway St final review
Nur Shakila Assesmentlwemkf;m;mwee f.pptx
Vocational Education for educational purposes
Abhay Bhutada and Other Visionary Leaders Reinventing Governance in India
Weekly Report 17-10-2024_cybersecutity.pptx

Why Measure Autonomy?

  • 1. Autonomy in the WEAI Sabina Alkire, IFPRI/USAID meeting 27 May 2015
  • 2. Survey options – background • The Global MPI uses 39 questions of the 625 in an average DHS. However those 39 questions gather information in addition to that used in the MPI. It takes quite a bit of time. • OPHI have also made a ‘MPI-lite’ survey for NGOs and institutions that only want to use the survey data to construct an MPI. Changes include: shortened response structure, precise definitions. Cut in time is more than 50%. • Both have the same indicators, weights, and cutoffs.
  • 3. How to measure women’s agency • Increasing women’s voice and agency is widely recognized as a key strategy to reduce gender inequalities and improve development outcomes. • “New indicators on agency are needed” Voice and Agency: Empowering Women and Girls for Shared Prosperity. Klugman et al. 2014 • Existing measures are seen to be seriously flawed in terms of comparability, policy relevance, and monitoring.
  • 5. - In the mid-term review, Autonomy was a ‘top’ contributor to disempowerment in 4 countries (Nepal, Tajikistan, Haiti, Liberia). - Input in productive decisions was the top contributor to disempowerment in 1 country (Liberia). Malapit et al. (2014) Measuring Progress towards Empowerment. WEAI Baseline Report 5
  • 6. In the mid-term review, Autonomy contributed more than decision-making to productive decisions in 5 countries; had roughly equal contributions in 3 countries, and contributed less in 5 countries. The contribution of Production to WEAI will change, in some cases dramatically, if Autonomy is dropped and only decision-making used. Malapit et al. (2014) Measuring Progress towards Empowerment. WEAI Baseline Report 6
  • 7. Decision-making • Furthermore, there are concerns whether decision- making will change over time, or is a stock variable. • Inertia and consistency A DHS study across 23 countries of decision making reported: ‘a surprising amount of consistency across countries in the type of decisions in which women participate.’ (Can FtF improve it? Stock/flow) • Contextual rather than Comparable: The DHS report concluded: “This makes it difficult to treat decisionmaking as a single indicator of empowerment; to treat participation of any type in one decision as being similar to participation of the same type in any other decision; and, for a given decision, to treat participation of one type as equivalent to participation of another type. Thus, if women‘s participation in decisionmaking is to be used as an indicator of empowerment, theory and context must drive the definition of what type of decisionmaking in what type of decisions constitutes empowerment.”
  • 8. Decision-making • There are concerns about this indicator: – Do not capture constraints to agency that might arise outside the household; only reflects intra-hh constraints. – Not suitable to female headed-households (by definition, all female-household are empowered in decision-making) – Do not see whether a woman values making all decisions or prefers her partner to do this particular job. – Women’s and Men’s responses don’t match, raising questions about accuracy. (Seymour) (non-sampling measurement error).
  • 9. In Sum: concerns for only using decision-making in WEAI. 1. The Contribution of Production to WEAI will change considerably in at least 10 countries. 2. Deprivations in Production will be much less visible in over one-third of countries. 3. It is not clear whether decision-making will monitor or show improvements from Feed the Future: it may be a stock variable. 4. Interpretation of decision-making is well-known to require deep contextual nuance.
  • 10. What about autonomy? 1. There were concerns in the pilot tests regarding autonomy, because it was unfamiliar to enumerators. 2. This led to online resources to support WEAI survey teams, with mixed uptake and success. 3. Cognitive tests of WEAI showed a balance of benefits and issues, and suggested avenues for review. 4. The Vignettes were developed based on experience to date with Autonomy, and consultations with other experts on SDT.
  • 11. Autonomy • The Vignettes appear to have solved the key issue from cognitive explorations. • (Material taken from 12 Dec 2014 presentation by Katie Sproule & Chiara Kovarik) • Large discrepancies in percentage of respondents who found the question difficult themselves versus how difficult they thought others would find it. In Uganda, between 7-14% said they found the questions difficult, versus 29-60% saying they thought others would find the questions difficult. In Bangladesh, very few respondents noted these questions as being difficult to answer but between 29- 39% said they thought others would find the question difficult. • Modification: Better training of enumerators • Results of modification: In Uganda, the rates dropped dramatically for the second round of cognitive interviews with just one respondent (3.1%) reporting difficulty and only 3.1-12.5% of respondents saying others would have difficulty. In Bangladesh respondents again did not find questions difficult and the number of respondents reporting others would find it difficult dropped. • p. 11
  • 12. Autonomy • Cognitive testing for both 1.1 autonomy questions and 2.0 vignettes • Two-part process for asking autonomy questions – 1.1 process implemented by enumerators but not reflected in questionnaire – 2.0 process is included in questionnaire • Field teams’ feedback – Took longer to implement (Ban: 16 mins, Uga: 8 mins), but respondents enjoyed stories (help build rapport?) – Field teams think the vignettes are better understood than the original, more concrete p. 12
  • 13. The RAI: designed to measure change • The Relative Autonomy Index (RAI) is a measure of motivational autonomy developed by psychologists working in Self-Determination Theory, and is extensively documented. (Chirkov, Ryan, & Deci, 2011; Ryan and Deci, 2000, 2012). • The RAI was designed to monitor change, and its ability to do so is widely confirmed • The RAI is domain-specific, as are measures of women’s empowerment.
  • 14. Autonomy: part of a huge literature of ‘Self-Determination Theory’ Theoretical and Research Reviews SDT Books Basic Psychological Needs Causality Orientations Development and Parenting Intrinsic Motivation Goals, Values, and Aspirations Internalization and Self-regulatory Styles Mindfulness Motivation and Self-Determination across Cultures Nonconscious Process and Priming Well-being and Eudaimonia Relationships Self and Self-Esteem Vitality and Energy Biological and Neuropsychological Education Nature and Environmental Sustainability Health Care Organizations and Work Marketing Psychopathology Psychotherapy and Counseling Physical Activity and Exercise Physical Education Virtual Environment and Video games
  • 15. Autonomy and Analysis Academic studies on autonomy associated with WEAI and available on its website have found interesting and policy- relevant insights. It is hoped that other studies of WEAI light might find other such policy relevant insights.
  • 16. Bangladesh: Adds new information • Examines the conceptual validity and reliability of Autonomy and its scale in rural areas, and finds positive results. • Investigates to if autonomy adds information: – Neither age, education, nor income, are suitable proxies for autonomy – Women’s autonomy is often related to their occupation (might Feed the Future may visibly affect autonomy of women farmers?) – Not the same as decision-making: No robust evidence that the decision-making indicator “feel can make decisions”, empowerment indicator “power to make decisions”, and domain-specific indicator “satisfaction with decisions made” constitute valid proxies for autonomy – Vaz, Alkire, Quisumbing and Sraboni (2014)
  • 17. Nepal: Autonomy & Maternal/Child Outcomes • ‘Women’s autonomy in production and hours worked improve maternal and children’s dietary diversity and height for age. • ‘The positive and highly significant correlation between women’s autonomy in agricultural production and nearly all maternal and child outcomes is consistent with bargaining models that suggest that individuals who have greater decisionmaking power in the household receive a larger share of the benefits from household resources, including nutritious food.’ • Malapit, Kadiyala, Quisumbing, Cunningham, and Tyagi. 2013 ‘Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture, Production Diversity, and Nutrition: Evidence from Nepal.’ IFPRI Discussion Paper 01313.
  • 18. Non-WEAI study in Chad • Vaz, Pratley and Alkire (2014) – Nationally representative data from Chad – Highlights gender disparity: Women on average are significantly less autonomously motivated across all domains than men. – Adds information: Neither education nor income are reasonable proxies for women’s motivational autonomy. – Community effects: Evidence that motivational autonomy at the community-level is associated with likelihood of women’s exclusive breastfeeding.
  • 19. “What gets measured gets done” If we keep Autonomy ~ 1. The Measurement of Production will be more balanced, less subject to measurement errors in decision- making or autonomy. 2. It is likely that Autonomy indicators will monitor improvements due to Feed the Future interventions. 3. Autonomy will capture the situation of female households, and will reflect structural constraints. 4. National household surveys would then have a new and better measure of women’s empowerment, which can be applied to other domains also.
  • 21. Autonomy in WEAI (1) • Domains considered: – Getting inputs for agricultural production – Types of crops to grow for agricultural production – Taking crops to the market (or not) – Livestock raising • Autonomy in production: individual is adequate if RAI>1 in AT LEAST ONE of the domains.
  • 22. Autonomy in WEAI (2) • Vignettes STORY QUESTION The types of crops to grow “[PERSON’S NAME] can’t grow other types of crops here for consumption and sale in market. Beans, sweet potato and maize are the only crops that grow here.” Are you like this person? “[PERSON’S NAME] is a farmer and grows beans, sweet potato, and maize because her spouse, or another person or group in her community tells her she must grow these crops. She does what they tell her to do.” Are you like this person? “[PERSON’S NAME] grows the crops for agricultural production that her family or community expect. She wants them to approve of her as a good farmer.” Are you like this person? “[PERSON’S NAME] chooses the crops that she personally wants to grow for consumption and sale in market and thinks are best for her family and business. She values growing these crops. If she changed her mind, she could act differently.” Are you like this person?
  • 23. Autonomy in WEAI (2) STORY QUESTION Taking crops to the market “There is no alternative to how much or how little of her crops [PERSON’S NAME] can take to the market. She is taking the only possible amount.” Are you like this person? “[PERSON’S NAME] takes crops to the market because her spouse, or another person or group in her community tell her she must sell them there. She does what they tell her to do.” Are you like this person? “[PERSON’S NAME] takes the crops to the market that her family or community expect. She wants them to approve of her as a good business woman.” Are you like this person? “[PERSON’S NAME] chooses to take the crops to market that she personally wants to sell there, and thinks is best for her family and business. She values this approach to sales. If she changed her mind, she could act differently.” Are you like this person?
  • 24. Autonomy in WEAI (2) STORY QUESTION Livestock raising “[PERSON’S NAME] can’t raise any livestock other than what she has. These are all that’s available.” Are you like this person? “[PERSON’S NAME] raises the types of livestock she does because her spouse, or another person or group in her community tell her she must use these breeds. She does what they tell her to do.” Are you like this person? “[PERSON’S NAME] buys the kinds of livestock that her family or community expect. She wants them to approve of her as a good livestock raiser.” Are you like this person? “[PERSON’S NAME] chooses the types of livestock that she personally wants to raise and thinks are good for her family and business. She values raising these types. If she changed her mind, she could act differently.” Are you like this person?