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Intrahousehold empowerment gaps in agriculture and children's well‐being in Bangladesh

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  • Hazel Jean L. Malapit
  • Esha Sraboni
  • Agnes R. Quisumbing
  • Akhter U. Ahmed

Abstract

This article examines the relationship between empowerment gaps between spouses and children's nutritional status and education using nationally representative data from the 2012 Bangladesh Integrated Household Survey. We measure relative empowerment of spouses using the recently developed Women's Empowerment in Agriculture Index. We find that while gender gaps in empowerment are only linked weakly to children's nutritional status, fathers’ and mothers’ empowerment have different effects on investment in children. Fathers’ empowerment is positively associated with younger children's nutrition and schooling, while mothers’ empowerment is more important for girls’ education in general and in keeping older boys and girls in school.

Suggested Citation

  • Hazel Jean L. Malapit & Esha Sraboni & Agnes R. Quisumbing & Akhter U. Ahmed, 2019. "Intrahousehold empowerment gaps in agriculture and children's well‐being in Bangladesh," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 37(2), pages 176-203, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:devpol:v:37:y:2019:i:2:p:176-203
    DOI: 10.1111/dpr.12374
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    2. McCarthy, Aine Seitz & Krause, Brooke, 2024. "Age and Agency: Evidence from a Women’s Empowerment Program in Tanzania," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 178(C).
    3. Lecoutere, Els & Chu, Lan, 2021. "Changing intrahousehold decision making to empower women in their households: a mixed methods analysis of a field experiment in rural south-west Tanzania," IOB Discussion Papers 2021.06, Universiteit Antwerpen, Institute of Development Policy (IOB).
    4. Quisumbing, Agnes R. & Sproule, Kathryn & Martinez, Elena M. & Malapit, Hazel, 2021. "Do tradeoffs among dimensions of women’s empowerment and nutrition outcomes exist? Evidence from six countries in Africa and Asia," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    5. Akhter Ahmed & Fiona Coleman & Julie Ghostlaw & John Hoddinott & Purnima Menon & Aklima Parvin & Audrey Pereira & Agnes Quisumbing & Shalini Roy & Masuma Younus, 2024. "Increasing production diversity and diet quality: Evidence from Bangladesh," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 106(3), pages 1089-1110, May.
    6. Williams, Eunice Mueni & Padmadas, Sabu S. & Väisänen, Heini, 2024. "Falling behind in school: Mother’s economic empowerment and its association with children’s grade progression in Malawi," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).
    7. D’Exelle, Ben & Ringdal, Charlotte, 2022. "Women’s use of family planning services: An experiment on the husband’s involvement," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    8. Kumar, Neha & Raghunathan, Kalyani & Arrieta, Alejandra & Jilani, Amir & Pandey, Shinjini, 2021. "The power of the collective empowers women: Evidence from self-help groups in India," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    9. Lecoutere, Els & van den Berg, Marrit & de Brauw, Alan, 2023. "Changes in women’s empowerment in the household, women’s diet diversity, and their relationship against the background of COVID-19 in southern Bangladesh," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).

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