Zambia Demographic and Health Survey 2001-2002 - Measure DHS

Table 3.12 Women’s control over earningsPercent distribution of women who received cash earnings for work in the past 12 months by person who decides how earnings are usedand marital status, according to proportion of household expenditures met by earnings, Zambia 2001-2002–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Currently married or living together Not married 1––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Jointly Jointly Jointly Some-Contribution with with Hus- Someone Number with one Numberto household Self hus- someone band else of Self someone else ofexpenditures only band else only only Total women only else only Total women–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Almost none/none 57.4 20.1 1.6 17.6 3.2 100.0 78 83.8 6.8 9.4 100.0 59Less than half 47.2 25.6 1.2 25.4 0.5 100.0 664 83.1 2.7 13.9 100.0 326Half or more 37.1 31.7 1.3 29.7 0.3 100.0 686 85.9 3.9 10.3 100.0 293All 28.9 47.4 0.3 22.8 0.2 100.0 261 86.0 7.5 6.5 100.0 182Total 40.7 31.3 1.1 26.3 0.5 100.0 1,692 84.6 4.4 10.9 100.0 862–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Note: Table excludes 4 women missing information on contribution to household expenditures.1Never-married, divorced, separated, or widowed womenTable 3.12 further shows that among married women, the less their earnings provide towardhousehold expenditures, the more likely they are to decide by themselves how to use their earnings. Asthe importance of their earnings increases, so does the likelihood that they make decisions jointly withtheir husbands. A majority of unmarried women make their own decisions, regardless of the degree ofcontribution to household expenditure.3.7 WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENTIn addition to information on women’s education, employment status, and control over earnings,the 2001-2002 ZDHS obtained information from both women and men on other measures of women’sstatus and empowerment. In particular, questions were asked on women’s roles in making household decisions,on acceptance of wife beating, and on opinions about when a wife should be able to refuse sexwith her husband. These questions are used to define three different indicators of women’s empowerment:(1) women’s participation in decision-making, (2) degree of acceptance of wife beating, and (3) degree ofacceptance of a wife’s right to refuse sex with her husband.The first measure—women’s participation in decision-making—requires little explanation sincethe ability to make decisions about one’s own life is of obvious importance to women’s empowerment.The other two measures derive from the notion that gender equity is essential to empowerment. One ofZambia’s policy measures to address women’s participation in decision-making is to “encourage effortsby non-governmental organisations, trade unions and the private sector to achieve equality betweenwomen and men in their ranks, including equal participation in their decision-making bodies and in negotiationsat all times” (GIDD, 2000)Responses that indicate a view that the beating of wives by husbands is justified reflect a lowstatus of women. Although such attitudes do not necessarily signify approval of men beating their wives,they do signify acceptance of norms that give men the right to discipline women with force. Similarly,beliefs about whether and when a woman can refuse sex with her husband reflect issues of gender equityregarding sexual rights and bodily integrity. Besides yielding an important measure of empowerment, informationabout women’s attitudes toward sexual rights is useful for improving and monitoring reproductivehealth programmes that depend on women’s willingness and ability to control their own sexual lives.3.7.1 Women’s Participation in Decision-makingTable 3.13 shows the percent distribution of women by the person that the woman says usuallyhas the final say in making decisions in four areas: (1) the woman’s own health care, (2) large householdCharacteristics of Respondents │ 41