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Women's empowerment in Colombia: A multidimensional approach

Author

Listed:
  • Rodríguez Guerrero, Esmeralda

    (UNU-MERIT, Maastricht University)

  • Nimeh, Zina

    (UNU-MERIT, Maastricht University)

  • Franco Correa, Andrea

    (UNU-MERIT, Maastricht University, and Universidad de la Salle, Bogota, Colombia)

Abstract

This article examines the topic of Women's Empowerment in Colombia. Over the past decades the Colombian government has shown progressive commitment towards women's rights, empowerment, advancement of gender equality and the achievement of equal opportunities. While those endeavours present a crucial advancement, they do not automatically translate into better outcomes for women. Although empowerment promotion strategies are evident, they are not based on a clear and measurable understanding of the concept of women's empowerment which facilitate tracking future progress. This article addresses this gap by proposing a multidimensional index of women's empowerment. This index puts forward specific indicators which allows for monitoring over time and can be adapted to monitor interventions and performance of programmes which target women's empowerment. Ultimately, this would help in the improvement of the design of policies and function as a starting point to create more favourable conditions for the empowerment of women. The index is operationalised using the 2015 DHS of Colombia.

Suggested Citation

  • Rodríguez Guerrero, Esmeralda & Nimeh, Zina & Franco Correa, Andrea, 2021. "Women's empowerment in Colombia: A multidimensional approach," MERIT Working Papers 2021-028, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    • Handle: RePEc:unm:unumer:2021028
    as

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    File URL: https://www.merit.unu.edu/publications/wppdf/2021/wp2021-028.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gaston Yalonetzky, 2014. "Conditions for the most robust multidimensional poverty comparisons using counting measures and ordinal variables," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 43(4), pages 773-807, December.
    2. 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.
    3. Fitsum W. Bayissa & Jeroen Smits & Ruerd Ruben, 2018. "The Multidimensional Nature of Women's Empowerment: Beyond the Economic Approach," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(4), pages 661-690, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Women; Empowerment; Colombia; Multidimensional Empowerment Index;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • I32 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Measurement and Analysis of Poverty
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification

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