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).
Geographies Tested: Egypt
Populations Included: Female
Age Range: Adolescents, Adults
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
Not Available
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
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Formative ResearchQualitative Research
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Field Expert Input
Cognitive Interviews / Pilot Testing
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Ease of UseReadability
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Evidence-based Measures of Empowerment for Research on Gender Equality (EMERGE)
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