Gender Inequality and Women's Empowerment - UNFPA Ethiopia

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In-depth Analysis of the Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey 2005
For the multivariate analysis, the response variable, an empowerment indicator, is categorized to create a
dichotomous variable on the basis of whether a woman is empowered or not. The outcome variables were
coded ‘1’ if the woman is assumed to be more empowered and ‘0’ if she is assumed to be less empowered. The
same coding procedure was applied for attitude towards sex refusal and wife beating. Logistic regression was
used for the multivariate analysis.
5.3 Results
5.3.1 Women’s Empowerment Indicators by Background Characteristics: Bivariate Analysis
Table 5.1 presents the results of the bivariate relationship between the socio-economic and demographic characteristics
of women and measures of empowerment. It shows how women’s empowerment, as indicated by involvement in
decision making on husbands’ income, purchase of large household items and on own health care varies according to
characteristics like age of respondent, religion, region, place of residence, education and access to media.
The majority of women (79 percent) who reside in urban areas participated in deciding on purchase of large
household items independently or jointly with their partners as compared to rural residents. Women who reside in
urban areas also have a greater share (79 percent) in deciding on their husbands’ income independently or jointly
with their husband as compared to women who reside in rural areas. However, women’s participation in decision
making on their own health care is low in both urban and rural residents. Only 29 percent of women who reside
in urban areas and 16 percent of women who reside in rural areas decide on their own health care independently.
Level of education and women’s decision making power show positive relationship in all of the empowerment
indicators. As the level of education of women increases, their involvement in decision making also increases.
Around 85 percent of women whose level of education is secondary or higher participate in deciding on large
household purchases and on their husbands’ income independently or jointly with their partner. Similarly
deciding on own health care independently is more likely for women having secondary or more education than
for those who are less educated. Women who were working and earning money at the time of the survey were
more likely to be involved in decision making than those who were not working. For instance, among women
who reported that they were working at the time of the survey, 68 per cent of them participated in deciding
on large household purchases, 74 percent participated in deciding on their husbands’ income independently
or jointly with their husbands and 24 percent participated in deciding on their own health care by themselves.
Women who have frequent access to any media (radio, print or television) show a better involvement on
household decision. Women from the richest households show better participation in decision making
compared to women from poor and middle household wealth category.