Development of a Tool to Measure Women’s Agency in India

Abstract

Ensuring and expanding women’s agency is an essential component of efforts to promote the rights and well-being of women. However, inadequate measurement hampers monitoring and research into achieving this goal. In this study, we developed a theory-based measurement tool of women’s agency. We developed a conceptual model of agency through a review of the literature, and then used this model to identify potential indicators of agency. These indicators were asked as part of a population-based household survey that was completed between July and November 2016 by 3042 women in rural Rajasthan, India.