IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/soinre/v172y2024i1d10.1007_s11205-023-03302-7.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Revisiting the Impact Evaluation of Women’s Empowerment: A MCDM-Based Evaluation Indicator Selection Framework Proposal

Author

Listed:
  • Nihan Yıldırım

    (Istanbul Technical University)

  • Fatma Köroğlu

    (Istanbul Technical University)

Abstract

Women’s empowerment programs play a critical role in achieving the United Nations’ (UN’s) sustainable development goal of “Gender Equality”. However, non-profit organizations (NPOs) running women’s empowerment (WE) programs face challenges in monitoring, assessing, and evaluating the social impact (SI) and program performance due to the lack of solid guidelines. This study aims to analyze the impact and outcome evaluation indicators of WE programs by providing a quantitative tool. A multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) model is proposed to identify and prioritize the performance indicators by utilizing Fuzzy TOPSIS (FTOPSIS) and Fuzzy AHP (FAHP) in a combined methodology. Results validated the identification and classification of the indicators by their importance and viability. In a qualitative study with NPOs working on WE in Turkey, social impact and outcome evaluation indicators are defined and ranked by criteria set in the proposed combined MCDM framework. The study aims to contribute to the theoretical frameworks and practices on social impact and outcome evaluation of women’s empowerment.

Suggested Citation

  • Nihan Yıldırım & Fatma Köroğlu, 2024. "Revisiting the Impact Evaluation of Women’s Empowerment: A MCDM-Based Evaluation Indicator Selection Framework Proposal," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 172(1), pages 121-145, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:172:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1007_s11205-023-03302-7
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-023-03302-7
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11205-023-03302-7
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11205-023-03302-7?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Alnoor Ebrahim & V. Kasturi Rangan, 2010. "The Limits of Nonprofit Impact: A Contingency Framework For Measuring Social Performance," Harvard Business School Working Papers 10-099, Harvard Business School.
    2. Van Thac Dang & Jianming Wang & Wilson Van-Thac Dang, 2019. "An Integrated Fuzzy AHP and Fuzzy TOPSIS Approach to Assess Sustainable Urban Development in an Emerging Economy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(16), pages 1-20, August.
    3. Malapit, Hazel & Quisumbing, Agnes & Meinzen-Dick, Ruth & Seymour, Greg & Martinez, Elena M. & Heckert, Jessica & Rubin, Deborah & Vaz, Ana & Yount, Kathryn M., 2019. "Development of the project-level Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (pro-WEAI)," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 675-692.
    4. Solava Ibrahim & Sabina Alkire, 2007. "Agency and Empowerment: A Proposal for Internationally Comparable Indicators," Oxford Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(4), pages 379-403.
    5. Rachel Glennerster & Kudzai Takavarasha, 2013. "Running Randomized Evaluations: A Practical Guide," Economics Books, Princeton University Press, edition 1, number 10085.
    6. Sajid Ali & Sang-Moon Lee & Choon-Man Jang, 2017. "Determination of the Most Optimal On-Shore Wind Farm Site Location Using a GIS-MCDM Methodology: Evaluating the Case of South Korea," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-22, December.
    7. Becker, Henk A., 2001. "Social impact assessment," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 128(2), pages 311-321, January.
    8. Choudhary, Devendra & Shankar, Ravi, 2012. "An STEEP-fuzzy AHP-TOPSIS framework for evaluation and selection of thermal power plant location: A case study from India," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 42(1), pages 510-521.
    9. Maria Teresa Lamata & Vicente Liern & Blanca Pérez-Gladish, 2018. "Doing good by doing well: a MCDM framework for evaluating corporate social responsibility attractiveness," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 267(1), pages 249-266, August.
    10. Stefanie Schwemlein & Ryan Cronk & Jamie Bartram, 2016. "Indicators for Monitoring Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene: A Systematic Review of Indicator Selection Methods," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-15, March.
    11. Johnson, Nancy & Balagamwala, Mysbah & Pinkstaff, Crossley & Theis, Sophie & Meinsen-Dick, Ruth & Agnes, Quisumbing, 2018. "How do agricultural development projects empower women? Linking strategies with expected outcomes," Journal of Gender, Agriculture and Food Security (Agri-Gender), Africa Centre for Gender, Social Research and Impact Assessment, vol. 3(2), December.
    12. Thomas L. Saaty, 1990. "An Exposition of the AHP in Reply to the Paper "Remarks on the Analytic Hierarchy Process"," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 36(3), pages 259-268, March.
    13. Sabina Alkire, 2005. "Subjective Quantitative Studies of Human Agency," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 74(1), pages 217-260, October.
    14. Naila Kabeer, 1999. "Resources, Agency, Achievements: Reflections on the Measurement of Women's Empowerment," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 30(3), pages 435-464, July.
    15. Malapit, Hazel J. & Quisumbing, Agnes R. & Meinzen-Dick, Ruth S. & Seymour, Greg & Martinez, Elena M. & Heckert, Jessica & Rubin, Deborah & Vaz, Ana & Yount, Kathryn M. & Gender, Agriculture, and Asse, 2019. "Development of the project-level Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (pro-WEAI)," IFPRI discussion papers 1796, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    16. Gokhan Ozkaya & Mehpare Timor & Ceren Erdin, 2021. "Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Indicators and Comparisons of Countries through a Hybrid Model of Data Mining and MCDM Methods," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-49, January.
    17. Parisa Rafiaani & Zoumpolia Dikopoulou & Miet Dael & Tom Kuppens & Hossein Azadi & Philippe Lebailly & Steven Passel, 2020. "Identifying Social Indicators for Sustainability Assessment of CCU Technologies: A Modified Multi-criteria Decision Making," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 147(1), pages 15-44, January.
    18. Minisha Gupta, 2021. "Role of NGOs in women empowerment: case studies from Uttarakhand, India," Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 15(1), pages 26-41, January.
    19. Dimitris Gavalas & Theodoros Syriopoulos & Michael Tsatsaronis, 2022. "Assessing key performance indicators in the shipbuilding industry; an MCDM approach," Maritime Policy & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(4), pages 463-491, May.
    20. Buchholz, Thomas & Rametsteiner, Ewald & Volk, Timothy A. & Luzadis, Valerie A., 2009. "Multi Criteria Analysis for bioenergy systems assessments," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(2), pages 484-495, February.
    21. Reza Kiani Mavi, 2014. "Indicators of Entrepreneurial University: Fuzzy AHP and Fuzzy TOPSIS Approach," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 5(2), pages 370-387, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Waid, Jillian L. & Wendt, Amanda S. & Sinharoy, Sheela S. & Kader, Abdul & Gabrysch, Sabine, 2022. "Impact of a homestead food production program on women's empowerment: Pro-WEAI results from the FAARM trial in Bangladesh," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    2. Malapit, Hazel & Quisumbing, Agnes & Meinzen-Dick, Ruth & Seymour, Greg & Martinez, Elena M. & Heckert, Jessica & Rubin, Deborah & Vaz, Ana & Yount, Kathryn M., 2019. "Development of the project-level Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (pro-WEAI)," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 675-692.
    3. Yount, Kathryn M. & Cheong, Yuk Fai & Maxwell, Lauren & Heckert, Jessica & Martinez, Elena M. & Seymour, Gregory, 2019. "Measurement properties of the project-level Women's Empowerment in Agriculture Index," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 1-1.
    4. Micaela Salcedo & Patricia Ruiz-Bravo & Nicolas Barrantes & Jhonatan Clausen, 2025. "Measuring Multidimensional Women’s Empowerment With Data From Partnered Women Across 45 Low- And Middle-Income Countries," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 176(3), pages 1093-1119, February.
    5. Laszlo, Sonia & Grantham, Kate & Oskay, Ecem & Zhang, Tingting, 2020. "Grappling with the challenges of measuring women's economic empowerment in intrahousehold settings," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).
    6. Alkire, Sabina & Meinzen-Dick, Ruth & Peterman, Amber & Quisumbing, Agnes & Seymour, Greg & Vaz, Ana, 2013. "The Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 71-91.
    7. Md. Wakilur Rahman & A. B. M. Mahfuzul Haque & Tasnuva Zaman & Md. Salauddin Palash & Md. Nahiduzzaman & Tanzina Nazia, 2024. "Women Empowerment Status in the Coastal Fishing Communities of Bangladesh," SAGE Open, , vol. 14(2), pages 21582440241, May.
    8. Michael Joseph D’Italia & Adam Okulicz-Kozaryn, 2025. "Constructing General Human Agency Indicators (GHAIs) and a General Personal Agency Scale (GPAS)," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 176(1), pages 337-411, January.
    9. Pratley, Pierre, 2016. "Associations between quantitative measures of women's empowerment and access to care and health status for mothers and their children: A systematic review of evidence from the developing world," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 169(C), pages 119-131.
    10. Saha, Shree & Narayanan, Sudha, 2022. "A simplified measure of nutritional empowerment: Using machine learning to abbreviate the Women’s Empowerment in Nutrition Index (WENI)," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    11. Jayachandran, Seema & Biradavolu, Monica & Cooper, Jan, 2023. "Using machine learning and qualitative interviews to design a five-question survey module for women’s agency," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    12. Lu Gram & Joanna Morrison & Jolene Skordis-Worrall, 2019. "Organising Concepts of ‘Women’s Empowerment’ for Measurement: A Typology," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 143(3), pages 1349-1376, June.
    13. Richardson, Robin A. & Harper, Sam & Schmitz, Norbert & Nandi, Arijit, 2018. "The effect of affordable daycare on women's mental health: Evidence from a cluster randomized trial in rural India," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 217(C), pages 32-41.
    14. Lentz, Erin & Jensen, Nathan & Lepariyo, Watson & Narayanan, Sudha & Bageant, Elizabeth, 2025. "Adapting the Women’s empowerment in nutrition index: Lessons from Kenya," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).
    15. Trommlerová, Sofia Karina & Klasen, Stephan & Leßmann, Ortrud, 2015. "Determinants of Empowerment in a Capability-Based Poverty Approach: Evidence from The Gambia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 1-15.
    16. Sadika Haque & Md. Salman & Md. Mehedi Hasan & Aunjuman Ara Prithi & Md. Emran Hossain, 2024. "Women's empowerment and its role in household food security to achieve SDGs: Empirical evidence from rural Bangladesh," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(4), pages 4297-4314, August.
    17. Roy, Sanchari & Morton, Matthew & Bhattacharya, Shrayana, 2018. "Hidden human capital: Self-efficacy, aspirations and achievements of adolescent and young women in India," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 161-180.
    18. Ramzi Mabsout, 2011. "Capability and Health Functioning in Ethiopian Households," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 101(3), pages 359-389, May.
    19. Seymour, Greg & Peterman, Amber, 2018. "Context and measurement: An analysis of the relationship between intrahousehold decision making and autonomy," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 97-112.
    20. Klein, Elise, 2014. "Psychological Agency: Evidence from the Urban Fringe of Bamako," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 642-653.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:172:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1007_s11205-023-03302-7. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.