What Shapes Women's Bargaining Power Within Households? Evidence from Jammu and Kashmir, India
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24113/sxcywf56Keywords:
Bargaining power; intrahousehold decision-making; gender empowerment; financial inclu-sion; asset ownership.Abstract
This study investigates the determinants of women's intrahousehold bargaining power in the Samba and Reasi districts of Jammu and Kashmir, India, addressing a significant empirical gap in a region with distinct socio-cultural characteristics. Using primary data from 400 households, a composite Bargaining Power Index (BPI) is constructed through Principal Component Analysis (PCA) by integrating six dimensions of empowerment: decision-making, income control, mobility, healthcare, expenditure, and resource ownership. Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression with robust diagnostic tests identifies education, employment, financial inclusion, land ownership, asset ownership, and media exposure as significant positive determinants of women's bargaining power. In contrast, household income, self-help group membership, digital access, caste, religion, and urban residence are found to have no significant influence. District-level analysis reveals marked heterogeneity, with women in Samba exhibiting significantly higher bargaining power than those in Reasi (p < 0.001). The estimated model explains 65.1% of the variation in bargaining power, while theoretical interpretation using bargaining and gender frameworks highlights the central role of human capital and productive assets in strengthening women's negotiating position within households. The findings underscore the need for context-specific policies promoting education, employment, financial inclusion, and women's asset ownership. By providing the first comprehensive quantitative evidence from Jammu and Kashmir, this study contributes to the literature on women's empowerment and intrahousehold bargaining in developing economies.
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