Age Difference between Spouses and Women Empowerment in Nigeria

Women empowerment is the increased ability of women to make life choices, and it is a major challenge among couples in decision making process in sub-Saharan Africa. Women empowerment among couples in Nigeria is influenced by the variations in the age of husband and wife especially among women with older husbands. This study examined the influence of spousal age difference on women empowerment in Nigeria using NDHS 2018 dataset. Women empowerment was measured by decision on health, household purchase and visit to family. Women were considered empowered if they take at least two of the decision singlehandedly and shared one with her spouse. Data were analysed using descriptive and logistic regression at P≤0.05. Spousal age difference was found to influence women empowerment in Nigeria. Women who were same age with husband and 1-4years and 5-9 years younger than husband were 2times more likely to be empowered, while women 10 or more year were 1 time more likely to be empowered. Specifically, women were more empowered if 1-4years younger than husband, as large spousal age difference limits women autonomy. The study has shown the implication of women marrying men who are far older than them and has given stakeholders a diverse approach toward empowerment of women and achieving SDG5.