Transforming Knowledge into Change

Agency and Empowerment: A Proposal for Internationally Comparable Indicators

This article proposes a short list of internationally-comparable indicators of inclividual agency and empowerment (and the corresponcling survey questions). Data from these indicators would enable researchers to explore research and policy issues such as the interconnections between empowerment and economic or human development. The article sUNeys definitions of agency and empowerment, adopts the definition from Amartya Sen, supplemented by Rowlands' typology. The proposed 'short list' of inclicators includes: control over personal decisions; domain-specific autonomy; household decision-making; and the ability to change aspects in one's life at the individual and communal levels. The strengths and weaknesses of each indicator are cliscussed, as is the need to supplement this shortlist with other variables. To ensure the feasibility of the proposal, the authors rely on previously-fielded questions wherever possible.

 

Bibliographic Details
Author Solava Ibrahim and Sabina Alkire
Publisher Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative (OPHI)
Publication Date June 30, 2007
Publication City Oxford, UK
Publication Work
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Submitted to Point K August 1, 2012 - 2:41pm


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