VoxDev Development Economics S6 Ep48: Women’s power at home
Dec 3, 2025
Seema Jayachandran, a Princeton economist focused on development economics and gender, teams up with Alessandra Voena from Stanford, who specializes in family economics. They delve into the complexities of women’s power at home, discussing how economic growth alone isn’t enough to enhance women's influence without legal reforms. Insights include the challenges of measuring household power, the impact of cash transfers on women, and effective strategies like boosting earnings and rights. They also explore the risks of backlash when empowering women and highlight the need for better data on household dynamics.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
What 'Power' Means In Households
- Power is the influence a person has over household choices and combines process and outcomes.
- Women's power tends to be lower in poorer countries where earnings, legal rights and exit options are limited.
Measure Both Process And Outcomes
- Measuring power requires combining process measures (voice, participation) and outcome measures (who gets resources).
- Single indicators mislead, so researchers triangulate with surveys, experiments and consumption data.
Agency Versus Outcome-Based Power
- The authors distinguish agency (voice, process) from power (outcomes reflecting preferences).
- Outcomes alone can misrepresent dynamics if husbands altruistically provide what women want without real agency.