Women’s empowerment is high on the agenda of policymakers, non-governmental organizations, and other gender equality advocates. Yet, conceptualizing and measuring empowerment is a challenge. Thus, utilizing appropriate indicators is a necessary step when designing and evaluating policies and projects for women’s empowerment.
In their research, Isabel Lambrecht, Katie Sproule, Nang Lun Kham Synt, Hnin Ei Win, and Khin Zin Win utilize pretesting and cognitive testing of the project-level Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (pro-WEAI) in five States/Regions in Myanmar to assess participant understanding and cultural fit. Their findings emphasize the need for continued attention for context-specific adjustments and encourage critical testing of widely used and validated survey instruments.
You can view the full publication by Isabel, Katie, Nang Lun Kham Synt, Hnin Ei Win, and Khin Zin Win in English here.
Background
Many researchers have undertaken the quest to develop empowerment indicators that fit different cultures and regions, yet there is no guarantee that cross-validated indicators are equally valid in certain countries and contexts. How to conceptualize and translate empowerment into meaningful questions to men and women across the world is strongly dependent on the context they live in.
The Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) is an innovative tool that measures women’s empowerment in agriculture. This measurement tool helps diagnose areas of disempowerment and design development programs to address those areas.
In preparation for intra-household data collection in Myanmar, Isabel and the IFPRI-Myanmar team pretested and cognitively tested the project-level WEAI (pro-WEAI), a variation of the WEAI tool, with respondents from different States/Regions and ethnic groups.
Cognitive testing of the pro-WEAI in Myanmar is intended to offer suggestions for improvement of the indicator and further the understanding of quantitative results from this indicator. Findings from the exercise are also intended to provide useful feedback for others seeking to do research on women’s empowerment in Southeast Asia, as well as for those continuing to search for internationally standardized ways of quantifying women’s empowerment.
Findings
Through their research, the IFPRI-Myanmar team found that WEAI questions were generally well understood, particularly on instrumental and group agency. However, the challenge to respond to hypothetical and abstract questions became apparent in the domains representing intrinsic agency. Hypothetical and abstract questions were also problematic for domains representing autonomy and self-efficacy. Furthermore, internationally validated questions on attitudes towards domestic violence were too abstract, and responses depended on the scenario envisioned. The findings also suggest including an adapted version of the survey module on speaking up in public to reinforce the domain on collective agency.
The concept of gender and issues surrounding gender equality is complex and context-specific, and hence, how to best measure women’s empowerment is also context-specific. WEAI has been tested and used in several areas around the world, but scarcely so in Southeast Asia.
The findings of the Myanmar pro-WEAI study provide an encouraging message to those aspiring to use pro-WEAI in the country and highlight the value of cognitive testing. These findings illustrate that even widely used measures should not be taken for granted and underscore the need to critically evaluate measures of empowerment, even if they have been proven appropriate elsewhere.
Isabel Lambrecht is a Research Fellow in the Development Strategy and Governance Division (DSGD) of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), based in Yangon, Myanmar. Katie Sproule is a Research Consultant and the Founder and CEO of Sproule Research Group, based in California, USA. Nang Lun Kham Synt is a Research Assistant in DSGD of IFPRI, based in Yangon. Hnin Ei Win and Khin Zin Win are Research Analysts in DSGD of IFPRI, based in Yangon.
This blog post was prepared by Michael Wang, Mickey Leland International Hunger Fellow in DSGD of IFPRI, based in Yangon. The analysis and opinions expressed in this piece are solely those of the authors.
