Women’s Agency Scale (WAS)
Women's Agency Scale (WAS)
The Women's Agency Scale (WAS) is a 9-item multidimensional measure of Egyptian women's agency or ability to define and act upon goals. Agency is assessed in terms of one's influence in family decisions (e.g., seeking medical treatment) and freedom of movement in public spaces (e.g., going to a friends' home).
Warning Flag
ITEMS:
Who in your family usually has the final say on the following decisions?
1. Making large household purchases
2. Making household purchases for daily needs
3. Visits to friends, family or other relatives
4. What food should be cooked each day
5. Getting medical treatment or advice for yourself
6. Buying clothes for herself
Response Options:
Someone else (includes husband, in-laws, or others)
Respondent and someone else
Respondent Alone
Missing
Are you allowed to go to the following places...?
7. Local health center or doctor
8. Local health center or doctor (taking children)
9. Home of relatives or friends in the neighborhood
Response Options:
Cannot go alone
Need permission
Just inform them
Without permission
Missing
PSYCHOMETRIC SCORE
GEOGRAPHIES TESTED:
POPULATIONS INCLUDED:
Female
AGE RANGE:
Adolescents
Adults
Scoring Procedures:
Not Available
PRIMARY CITATION:
Cheong, Y. F., Yount, K. M., & Crandall, A. A. (2017). Longitudinal measurement invariance of the Women’s Agency Scale. Bulletin of Sociological Methodology/Bulletin de Méthodologie Sociologique, 134(1), 24-36. https://doi.org/10.1177/0759106317693787
Pyschometric Score:
Qualitative Research
Existing Literature/Theoretical Framework
Field Expert Input
Cognitive Interviews / Pilot Testing
Internal
Test-retest
Interrater
Content
Face
Criterion (gold-standard)
Construct
Psychometric Scoring
Total Score: 3.50/8 Points (MEDIUM)
Citation Frequency
KEY
FULL POINTS
PARTIAL POINTS NOT ASSESSED NOT APPLICABLEFor more details, see Scoring Methodology
Measure came from a peer-reviewed journal with a low impact score and/or inadequate information on psychometrics, but is an under-represented gender equality and empowerment construct
