| Title | Women's empowerment and its differential impact on health in low-income communities in Mumbai, India. |
| Publication Type | Journal Article |
| Year of Publication | 2014 |
| Authors | Moonzwe Davis, Lwendo, Stephen L. Schensul, Jean J. Schensul, Ravi K. Verma, Bonnie K. Nastasi, and Rajendra Singh |
| Journal | Global public health |
| Pagination | 1-14 |
| Date Published | 2014 Apr 25 |
| ISSN | 1744-1706 |
| Abstract | This paper examines the relationship of empowerment to women's self-reported general health status and women's self-reported health during pregnancy in low-income communities in Mumbai. The data on which this paper is based were collected in three study communities located in a marginalised area of Mumbai. We draw on two data sources: in-depth qualitative interviews conducted with 66 married women and a survey sample of 260 married women. Our analysis shows that empowerment functions differently in relation to women's reproductive status. Non-pregnant women with higher levels of empowerment experience greater general health problems, while pregnant women with higher levels of empowerment are less likely to experience pregnancy-related health problems. We explain this non-intuitive finding and suggest that a globally defined empowerment measure for women may be less useful that one that is contextually and situationally defined. |
| DOI | 10.1080/17441692.2014.904919 |
| Alternate Journal | Glob Public Health |
