Project-level women's empowerment in agriculture index (Pro-WEAI)
Photo: Kipp Sutton/USAID
The project-level WEAI (Pro-WEAI) measures women's empowerment in the agricultural sector for project impact evaluation.
Why is the method important?
Pro-WEAI is based on WEAI , but adds specialized project-relevant modules, such as an enhanced livestock module and a module specific to nutrition and health projects, as well as qualitative tools to help projects understand local definitions of empowerment.
Who is the method for?
Pro-WEAI is primarily designed to be used by researchers and academics. Donors, practioners and policy makers can also benefit from the Pro-WEAI.
Pilot countries: Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Kenya, Mali, Nepal, Tanzania. The Pro-WEAI can be used worldwide.
How can I use the method?
The method can be used to identify key areas of women’s (and men’s) disempowerment, design appropriate strategies to address identified deficiencies and monitor project outcomes related to women’s empowerment. The 10 pro-WEAI indicators are mapped to three domains: intrinsic agency (power within), instrumental agency (power to) and collective agency (power with). A gender parity index compares the empowerment scores of men and women in the same household.
When and how was it developed?
Pro-WEAI was developed collaboratively with 13 agricultural development projects in Africa and South Asia as part of the Gender, Agriculture, and Assets Project, Phase 2.
Program implementers and researchers who have conducted quantitative and qualitative studies on women’s empowerment developed Pro-WEAI by critiquing the WEAI.
The tool was then field-tested using qualitative and quantitative methods. Baseline quantitative data were then shared with the pro-WEAI team for analysis, validation and creation of a draft pro-WEAI. Feedback on the draft index was elicited from the participant projects and expert stakeholders in the research and development communities.
Where can I get the method? Who can I contact?
You can access the tool at International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) or download the pdf tool directly from Elsevier (1.38 MB).
Contact IFPRI-WEAI@cgiar.org.
Other links
Tools, methods, manuals
Publications
Development of the project-level Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (pro-WEAI)
Gendered patterns of work and time use: A review of methods and innovations. CGIAR GENDER Platform working paper 001.
The Abbreviated Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (A-WEAI)
Malapit, Hazel J.; Kovarik, Chiara; Sproule, Kathryn; Meinzen-Dick, Ruth Suseela; and Quisumbing, Agnes R. 2020. Instructional guide on the abbreviated Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (A-WEAI). Washington, D.C.: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). http://ebrary.ifpri.org/cdm/ref/collection/p15738coll2/id/129719