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Measuring Women's Empowerment in Rwanda

Author

Listed:
  • Musonera, Abdou

    (MIFOTRA-SPIU)

  • Heshmati, Almas

    (Jönköping University)

Abstract

This study examines the determinants of women's empowerment in Rwanda using data obtained from DHS 2010. A regression analysis is used to investigate the association between women's empowerment and its covariates. The study also uses a multinomial logistic regression to assess what determines households' decision-making and attitudes towards physical abuse of spouses. Variables of sources of empowerment such as education and media exposure were found to have a net positive association with women's empowerment while other variables such as residence and the age at first marriage were negatively associated with women's empowerment. Further analysis showed that the effects of education, age of the respondent, wealth and the number of children ever born remained strong conditions which effected households' decision-making and attitudes about physical abuse. In general, therefore, it seems that for women to fully realize their potential and rights, specific emphasis should be put on variables that increase their access to resources and knowledge such as education, employment for cash and media exposure but variables that are negatively associated with women's empowerment such as higher age at first marriage should also be taken into account.

Suggested Citation

  • Musonera, Abdou & Heshmati, Almas, 2016. "Measuring Women's Empowerment in Rwanda," IZA Discussion Papers 10131, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp10131
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    women's empowerment; physical abuses; household decision-making; Rwanda;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • I15 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Economic Development
    • I25 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Economic Development
    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure

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