Seeing empowerment as relational: lessons from women participating in development projects in Cambodia

Doneys, Philippe; Doane, Donna L.; Norm, Sina

doi:10.1080/09614524.2019.1678570

Cited by 16 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…No significant findings were observed for decision making and contraceptive use albeit in 2010 where it was associated with the use of traditional contraceptive methods. Previous research in Cambodia identified women’s access to new knowledge and abilities, which technically helped them to be involved in income-generating activities, as a key empowerment aspect mentioned by Cambodian women [ 46 ]. This may partly explain why educational attainment and workforce involvement had greater influences on the use of contraceptives than decision making.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multilevel analysis of the role of women’s empowerment on use of contraceptive methods among married Cambodian women: evidence from demographic health surveys between 2005 and 2014

et al. 2021

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Background The use of contraceptives is an essential public health concept that improves overall safe motherhood and infant health. Women empowerment has been reported to influence health behaviors in women. With recent efforts to increase access to contraceptive methods, uptake of the same remains a challenge in Cambodia. There are limited studies that have examined the role of women’s empowerment at both individual- and community- level on contraceptive use in Cambodia. This study examined the individual- and community-level factors associated with contraceptive use among Cambodian married women between 2005 and 2014. Methods Data from 2005, 2010, and 2014 Cambodia Demographic and Health Surveys were used to analyze 2211; 10,505; and 10,849 women, respectively. Multilevel binary and multinomial logistic regression models were applied to assess the association between individual- and community- level factors, and the use of contraceptive methods. Results The prevalence of using modern contraceptive methods increased over time (i.e., 29.0, 38.1, and 42.3% in 2005, 2010, and 2014, respectively). At the individual level, women who attained secondary and higher education were more likely to use any contraceptives [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.43, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.22–1.68, and aOR = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.05–1.44 in 2010 and 2014, respectively] compared with those with no formal education. Similarly, having a high workforce participation level was significantly associated with increased likelihood of using any contraceptive methods [aOR = 1.12, 95% CI = 1.00–1.26, aOR = 1.44, 95% CI = 1.29–1.60 and in 2010 and 2014, respectively]. Other factors such as age at first marriage, residence, and having a health insurance were associated with contraceptive use. The proportional change in variance showed that about 14.3% of total variations in the odds of contraceptive use across the communities were explained by both individual- and community-level factors. Moreover, the intraclass correlation showed that about 5.2% of the total variation remained unexplained even after adjustments. Conclusion Both individual- and community- level factors influenced contraceptive use in Cambodia. When designing programs to improve contraceptive use, contextual influences should be taken into account for the effectiveness of the programs.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multilevel analysis of the role of women’s empowerment on use of contraceptive methods among married Cambodian women: evidence from demographic health surveys between 2005 and 2014

et al. 2021

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“…They also shared ways in which their lack of income hampered their ability to participate effectively in community level practices, including religious observance. Research conducted in Cambodia [45] showed that rather than seeking personal autonomy, women see empowerment as an outcome of contributing to, and gaining respect from, others, including partners, the wider family and the community. Our findings echo this understanding.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How Will Mechanizing Mung Bean Harvesting Affect Women Hired Laborers in Myanmar and Bangladesh?

Farnworth¹,

San

Kundu

et al. 2020

Sustainability

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Farm mechanization can promote the economic sustainability of small farms and in the context of cereal-legume systems strengthen plant protein-based diets, which support human health and environmental sustainability. However, mechanization inevitably displaces hired laborers who depend on manual farm work for their income. Few studies have systematically analyzed the differential effects on women and men hired labor. Here, we use primarily qualitative data from Myanmar and Bangladesh to test the hypothesis that the effects of mechanizing mung bean harvesting—which is now commencing in both countries—are likely to weaken women hired workers’ economic and personal empowerment. We focus on rural landless women laborers as an important part of the agricultural labor force. The results broadly confirm the hypothesis, although there is variation between the research sites. Harvesting mung beans is the only fieldwork task available to many landless women, particularly married women with children, in both countries. Gendered restrictions on women’s mobility and their role as family caregivers, as well as norms about appropriate work for women and men, restrict women’s options regarding alternative work both locally and further away. The effects are likely to be particularly negative in locations with minimal off-farm economic diversity and more restrictive gender norms. Overall, men across all sites will be less affected since their participation rates in harvesting and post-harvest processing are low. They are less restricted by gender norms and can travel freely to find work elsewhere. However, women and men in low asset households will find it problematic to find alternative income sources. Less restrictive gender norms would help to mitigate the adverse effects of farm mechanization. It is important to invest in gender transformative approaches to stimulate change in norms and associated behaviors to make a wider range of choices possible.

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“…Country-level differences may also depend on local gender norms and on the women's social and work lives. According to the qualitative analysis of Doneys, Doane, and Norm (2020), knowledge, for instance, is particularly important for women involved in trading products requiring updated design and higher quality to be marketable.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Porter made this important point regarding the central role of security to women's empowerment in many developing and war-torn countries (Porter 2013). Similarly, Doneys, Doane, and Norm (2020) found that measures to reduce domestic violence can be key to increasing self-confidence and therefore a pre-requisite to more income-based forms of empowerment. The lack of formal health security and social protection in some countries without basic public protections or insurances can also undermine efforts towards women's empowerment (FAO 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In a context where culture and social norms put a great deal of importance on social ties, autonomy may not be enough to produce positive changes and in fact may go against encouraging forms of social support that are key to women's greater access to reproductive healthcare (Safi and Doneys 2019). Second, women may not view the pursuit of more independence, such as, for example, in the form of financial autonomy, as a desirable objective (Doneys, Doane, and Norm 2020). This can be the case in contexts were family togetherness is highly valued (Kabeer 1999).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Empowerment as one sees it: assessment of empowerment by women participants of development projects

Völker¹,

Doneys²

2020

Development in Practice

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One criticism of how women's empowerment is operationalised in development interventions is the lack of consideration of its context specificity. This quantitative study investigates how women participants in development projects in Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam perceive the meaning of empowerment and the associated positive effects of participating in empowerment activities. The findings indicate that women's ideas of empowerment differ according to their cultural, economic and social contexts as well as from donor-driven definitions. Both similar and distinct positive effects of participating in empowerment activities are felt, highlighting the importance of incorporating what women prioritise when planning empowerment projects.

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Seeing empowerment as relational: lessons from women participating in development projects in Cambodia

Cited by 16 publications

References 18 publications

Multilevel analysis of the role of women’s empowerment on use of contraceptive methods among married Cambodian women: evidence from demographic health surveys between 2005 and 2014

Multilevel analysis of the role of women’s empowerment on use of contraceptive methods among married Cambodian women: evidence from demographic health surveys between 2005 and 2014

How Will Mechanizing Mung Bean Harvesting Affect Women Hired Laborers in Myanmar and Bangladesh?

Empowerment as one sees it: assessment of empowerment by women participants of development projects

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