Women empowerment

Women empowerment is composite indicator, which is computed using a set of standard variables, suggested in previous research. Previous studies have measured women empowerment based on indicators of women’s mobility (freedom to visit places unescorted) and decision-making [21, 22]. The NFHS 2015–16 provides sufficient information on all these indicators to compute a women empowerment index. Five decision-making indicators are used: (i) decision on own health care, (ii) decision on large household purchases, (iii) decision on visits to family and relatives, (iv) decision on spending husband’s earnings, (v) wife beating is justified if she refuses for sex. Four mobility indicators are used: (i) allowed to go to market, (ii) allowed to go to a health facility, and (iii) allowed to go outside the village (iv) beating justified if went outside without telling. Five economic indicators are used: (i) land ownership (ii) house ownership (iii) working status (iv) having bank account (v) having mobile phone. Using these indicators, a composite index is computed by applying Principal Component Analysis and termed as women empowerment index which is further divided into three categories: low, medium and high autonomy.