Voltage Drops (Transitions) in Economic Empowerment to Intrinsic Empowerment of Women in India

Abhishek Daithankar, IIT Mandi
Avnish Pal, Indian Institute of Technology Mandi
Mayanka Ambade, Indian Institute of Technology, Mandi

This study investigates the link between economic empowerment and intrinsic empowerment among Indian women, using data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4 and NFHS-5). The key outcomes are autonomy, decision-making, and attitudes toward domestic violence. Women's economic empowerment was measured through three predictors: financial independence, bank account ownership, and digital payment use. Key control variables included age, caste, religion, marital status, and rural-urban residence. Results indicate that of 79% of women with bank accounts demonstrated varying levels of autonomy, 56% were able to visit markets independently, and 51% were able to visit health facilities alone. Decision-making capacity increased as economic empowerment rose, with a 1.6-unit increase in decision-making ability and a 1.7-unit increase in overall autonomy per unit of economic empowerment. However, despite economic advancements, attitudes toward wife-beating remained unchanged, with nearly half of the women justifying domestic violence. The findings suggest that while economic empowerment enhances women's decision-making and autonomy, it does not fully translate into intrinsic empowerment, particularly regarding social attitudes. The shift from economic to intrinsic empowerment is relatively small, with a conversion rate of only about 50%, underscoring the need for multifaceted strategies to address this gap and support women's full autonomy

Keywords: Gender Dynamics, The Demography of Indigenous Populations, Inequality, Disadvantage and Discrimination, Census data

See extended abstract.