Women's Empowerment in India: State-Wise Insights From the National Family Health Survey 5.

Autor:	Vignitha B; Community Medicine, Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, IND., Debnath A; Community Medicine, Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, IND., Pvs A; Epidemiology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, CHN., Sai TK; Epidemiology, Odessa National Medical University, Odessa, UKR., Charag S; Community Medicine, Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, IND.
Jazyk:	angličtina
Zdroj:	Cureus [Cureus] 2024 Jul 27; Vol. 16 (7), pp. e65509. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Jul 27 (Print Publication: 2024).
DOI:	10.7759/cureus.65509
Abstrakt:	Background Women's empowerment is critical for achieving gender equality and societal progress. Despite various efforts, significant disparities in women's empowerment persist across different states in India. This study aims to provide a comprehensive assessment of women's empowerment using data from the National Family Health Survey 5 (NFHS-5). Methods Data from the NFHS-5, collected between June 2019 and April 2021, were used. The Women's Empowerment Index (WEI) was calculated for each of the 28 states based on four dimensions: economic empowerment, decision-making, health and nutrition, and gender roles. Statistical analysis, including Pearson and Spearman correlations, was conducted to assess associations between WEI and various socioeconomic variables. Results The WEI ranged from 17.4 to 27.4, with a mean of 21.3 ± 2.6. Goa, Sikkim, and Himachal Pradesh had the highest WEI scores, while West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana had the lowest. Economic empowerment was highest in Karnataka, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh. Decision-making scores were highest in Nagaland, Mizoram, and Goa. Health and nutrition scores were highest in Goa, Sikkim, and Uttarakhand. Positive gender roles were most prominent in Himachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and Goa. Significant correlations were found between WEI and per capita net state domestic product, literacy rates, median age at marriage, and total fertility rate. Conclusion The study highlights substantial variations in women's empowerment across Indian states, influenced by socioeconomic, health, and educational factors. Targeted interventions are needed to address specific barriers and promote gender equality. Future research should evaluate the effectiveness of these interventions and explore additional factors influencing women's empowerment. Competing Interests: Human subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve human participants or tissue. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work. (Copyright © 2024, Vignitha et al.)
Databáze:	MEDLINE
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