Abstract: My third research paper is a statistical analysis of state-wise NFHS 5 data to understand how access to healthcare variables influences women’s empowerment-related variables in the country. I wrote this paper under the guidance of Professor Sourabh Bikas Paul, an associate professor of Economics at IIT Dehli.
Key Findings:
Generally, the findings indicate that increase health servicec has both positive and negative associations with different aspects of women’s empowerment in their lives. A notable pattern is the weak negative correlation between health worker contact and decision-making autonomy within households. As women’s contact with health workers increases, their involvement in household decisions tends to decrease slightly. Conversely, contact with health workers shows a weak positive correlation with financial autonomy and employment, suggesting that health interactions might support women’s economic activities and control over finances. Interestingly, the correlation between income parity and mobile phone ownership against healthcare variables is extremely weak, indicating the minimal influence of healthcare on these variables. However, moderate positive correlations were observed between bank account access and financial decision-making against healthcare variables, highlighting the potential role of access to healthcare in promoting financial inclusion and economic empowerment. Moreover, for households not using government health facilities, the correlations tend to point towards slight decreases in women’s decision-making autonomy and financial control. These households show weak associations with traditional attitudes and lower access to financial resources, underscoring potential socio-cultural barriers. In essence, while health service interactions positively impact economic participation and financial autonomy, their influence on household decision-making and socio-cultural attitudes is limited.
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