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Empowerment of women for health promotion: a meta-analysis

Author

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  • Kar, Snehendu B.
  • Pascual, Catherine A.
  • Chickering, Kirstin L.

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to identify conditions, factors and methods, which empower women and mothers (WAM) for social action and health promotion movements. WAM are the primary caregivers in almost all cultures; they have demonstrated bold leadership under extreme adversity. Consequently, when empowered and involved, WAM can be effective partners in health promotion programs. The methodology includes a meta-analysis of 40 exemplary case studies from across the world, which meet predetermined criteria, to draw implications for social action and health promotion. Cases were selected from industrialized and less-industrialized nations and from four problem domains affecting quality of life and health: (1) human rights, (2) women's equal rights, (3) economic enhancement and (4) health promotion. Content analysis extracted data from all cases on six dimensions: (1) problem, (2) impetus/leadership, (3) macro-environment, (4) methods used, (5) partners/opponents and (6) impact. Analysis identified seven methods frequently used to EMPOWER (acronym): empowerment education and training, media use and advocacy, public education and participation, organizing associations and unions, work training and micro-enterprise, enabling services and support, and rights protection and promotion. Cochran's Q test confirmed significant differences in the frequencies of methods used. The seven EMPOWER methods were used in this order: enabling services, rights protection/promotion, public education, media use/advocacy, and organizing associations/unions, empowerment education, and work training and micro-enterprise. Media and public education were more frequently used by industrialized than non-industrialized societies ([chi]2 tests). While frequencies of methods used varied in all other comparisons, these differences were not statistically significant, suggesting the importance of these methods across problem domains and levels of industrialization. The paper integrates key findings into an empowerment model consisting of five stages: motivation for action, empowerment support, initial individual action, empowerment program, and institutionalization and replication. Implications for policy and health promotion programs are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Kar, Snehendu B. & Pascual, Catherine A. & Chickering, Kirstin L., 1999. "Empowerment of women for health promotion: a meta-analysis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 49(11), pages 1431-1460, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:49:y:1999:i:11:p:1431-1460
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Godoy, Ricardo A. & Patel, Ankur & Reyes-García, Victoria & Seyfried, Craig Jr. & Leonard, William R. & McDade, Thomas & Tanner, Susan & Vadez, Vincent, 2006. "Nutritional status and spousal empowerment among native Amazonians," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 63(6), pages 1517-1530, September.
    2. Bakshi, Sanjeev & Pathak, Prasanta, 2006. "An Analysis of the State of Empowerment of Females vis-à-vis Males at Old Ages in India," MPRA Paper 23573, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Afeefa Ahmad & Dilshad Ahmad, 2022. "Effects Of Women Empowerment On Access To Healthcare In Pakistan," Bulletin of Business and Economics (BBE), Research Foundation for Humanity (RFH), vol. 11(2), pages 84-92, June.
    4. Paudel, Jayash & de Araujo, Pedro, 2017. "Demographic responses to a political transformation: Evidence of women’s empowerment from Nepal," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 45(2), pages 325-343.
    5. Boban Melovic & Andjela Jaksic Stojanovic & Tamara Backovic Vulic & Branislav Dudic & Eleonora Benova, 2020. "The Impact of Online Media on Parents’ Attitudes toward Vaccination of Children—Social Marketing and Public Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-27, August.
    6. Musonera, Abdou & Heshmati, Almas, 2016. "Measuring Women's Empowerment in Rwanda," IZA Discussion Papers 10131, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    7. Swendeman, Dallas & Basu, Ishika & Das, Sankari & Jana, Smarajit & Rotheram-Borus, Mary Jane, 2009. "Empowering sex workers in India to reduce vulnerability to HIV and sexually transmitted diseases," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 69(8), pages 1157-1166, October.
    8. Elnekave, Eldad & Gross, Revital, 2004. "The healthcare experiences of Arab Israeli women in a reformed healthcare system," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 69(1), pages 101-116, July.
    9. Sara Wyngaarden & Sally Humphries & Kelly Skinner & Esmeralda Lobo Tosta & Veronica Zelaya Portillo & Paola Orellana & Warren Dodd, 2022. "‘This Helps You See Life Differently’: Evaluating Youth Development and Capability Expansion in Remote Communities of Honduras," Progress in Development Studies, , vol. 22(2), pages 174-195, April.
    10. Delia Voronca & Rebekah J. Walker & Leonard E. Egede, 2018. "Relationship between empowerment and wealth: trends and predictors in Kenya between 2003 and 2008–2009," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 63(5), pages 641-649, June.
    11. Dhiman Das, 2017. "Public expenditure and healthcare utilization: the case of reproductive health care in India," International Journal of Health Economics and Management, Springer, vol. 17(4), pages 473-494, December.
    12. Maria Jose Alberdi-Erice & Homero Martinez & Esperanza Rayón-Valpuesta, 2021. "A Participatory Community Diagnosis of a Rural Community from the Perspective of Its Women, Leading to Proposals for Action," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(18), pages 1-16, September.
    13. Thelma N Bidi & Annah Matsika & Admire Mukorera, 2023. "The Impact of Poultry Production on the Empowerment of Rural Women: Lessons from the Indigenous Poultry Value Chain Project," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 7(8), pages 369-378, August.
    14. Bakshi, Sanjeev & Pathak, Prasanta, 2013. "Ageing and the socioeconomic life of older adults in India: An empirical exposition," MPRA Paper 68651, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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