A Structural Equation Model of Female Empowerment. Issue 8 (3rd August 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ballon, Paola
• Is Part Of: Journal of development studies. Volume 54:Issue 8(2018)
• Page Start: 1303
• Page End: 1320
• Publication Date: 2018-08-03
• Subjects: Economic development -- Periodicals; Economic history -- 1945- -- Periodicals; Developing countries -- Economic conditions -- Periodicals; Développement économique -- Périodiques; Histoire économique -- 1945- -- Périodiques; Pays en voie de développement -- Conditions économiques -- Périodiques; 338.91
• DOI: 10.1080/00220388.2017.1414189
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-0388

Abstract

Abstract: This paper proposes a structural equation model to measure and explain female empowerment in Cambodia. Empowerment is defined as the decision-making ability of a woman regarding her strategic and non-strategic life choices. Grounded in the Capability Approach and in the gender economics literature this conceptualisation accounts for three key elements: resources, values/traditions, and decision-outcomes. These elements interact into a system of structural equations where a latent variable is specified to measure empowerment; decision-outcomes enter as partial metrics of empowerment; and resources, and values/traditions are modelled as exogenous factors. Stochastic dominance analysis is used to compare the empowerment status of women across life choices.