Socio-demographic determinants of women’s autonomy in Nepal: Evidence from Nepal demographic and health survey 2022

Abstract

Women’s autonomy is central to achieving gender equality and empowering women for sustainable development of the nation. Despite international commitments and national policy frameworks, Nepal continues to face challenges in this regard.  This paper aims to examine the socio-demographic drivers influencing women’s autonomy in Nepal using data from Nepal Demographic and Health Survey 2022. Adopting a cross-sectional, descriptive design, a sample of 11,068 married women were included in the analysis. The level of high autonomy increases with increasing age ranging from 25.83% among 14-19 years old to 71.74% among women aged 30 years and above demonstrates that age is the key to determining autonomy. The level of high autonomy is also observed high among Janajati and women having higher level of education. The likelihood ratio of decision-making power was found increased with increasing age of women. The decision-making autonomy was observed two times higher in age 25-29 years and three times higher among women aged 30-34, 35-39 and 40-44 years of age. Women from Dalit group was observed more likely to have higher autonomy [OR=1.214, C. I.: 1.070-1.337] compared to another caste/ethnicity. Women having basic and secondary level of education demonstrate higher likelihoods of autonomy. Women from rural areas have significantly lower odds of autonomy compared to urban women. Women from richest wealth status also positively correlated with autonomy. Overall age and education were the strongest predictors of women’s autonomy, whereas caste/ethnicity also contributed to significant but context-specific variations. It is now essential to formulate and implement targeted policy interventions that prioritize educational attainment, economic empowerment, and the transformation of socio-cultural norms in order to strengthen women’s agency in household decision-making in Nepal.