Family Structure and Women's Decision Making: A Seemingly Unrelated Recursive Bivariate Probit Analysis in South Asia

Ali Abbas Rizvi, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai
Abhishek Singh, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)

Family structure plays a pivotal role in women's autonomy and intra-household decision-making. This study investigates the influence of household structure on women's autonomy in decision-making across four South Asian countries: India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. Utilizing data from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), the analysis employed a seemingly unrelated recursive bivariate probit model to assess the relationship between family structure and women's involvement in household decisions. Results indicate that a substantial proportion of married women in South Asia are excluded from household decision-making, with 70% in India, 35.5% in Pakistan, 47.6% in Nepal, and 59% in Bangladesh. We found significant endogeneity in the model, indicating unmeasurable factors that commonly affect the likelihood of residing in nuclear households and involvement in household decision making. Women in nuclear households in India and Bangladesh showed higher involvement in decision-making of 37% and 41%, respectively, while experiencing a moderate effect of 19% in Pakistan and 22% in Nepal. Low involvement in joint family structure highlight the need for cultural centric approach to promote gender equity at familial and societal levels. Acknowledging the role of extended kin is essential for enhancing women’s development in traditional within family settings.

Keywords: Gender Dynamics, Families, Unions and Households, Inequality, Disadvantage and Discrimination, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

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