This study assesses the status of women’s empowerment in India through a multidimensional lens, analysing trends from 2005–2006 to 2019–2021 using data from the National Family Health Survey. It constructs a Multidimensional Women’s Disempowerment Index (MWDI) covering three core dimensions (decision-making, physical mobility and awareness) and investigates the influence of socio-demographic and economic factors on women’s empowerment.
Employing Alkire–Foster methodology, the MWDI is developed using direct indicators of disempowerment. A quantitative analytical approach with Heckman Two-Step Estimation identifies determinants of multidimensional disempowerment among married women aged 15–49 years, emphasizing subgroups such as Scheduled Tribes (STs), Other Backward Castes (OBCs), Muslims, and rural women.
Despite notable progress, 53.3% of married women in India remain multidimensionally disempowered, with restricted physical mobility being the predominant factor. Rural women, along with those belonging to STs, OBCs and the Muslim community, exhibit greater vulnerability. Education, employment, financial inclusion and mass media exposure enhance empowerment, whereas low self-esteem and spousal dominance hinder it.
The findings underscore the urgency of designing intersectional and group-specific empowerment initiatives. Policies must integrate social awareness campaigns, improve access to education and financial services and address patriarchal norms through behavioural interventions – ensuring that empowerment strategies are holistic, inclusive and sustainable for gender equity.
This research addresses the limited literature on longitudinal multidimensional assessments of women’s empowerment in India. By introducing a robust MWDI it identifies persistent socio-economic disparities and provides evidence-based insights crucial for designing targeted policies.
The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-12-2024-1088
