Women's Studies
Fateme Allahyari; Rasool Norouzi Seyyed Hossini; Mohammad Ehsani; Ghodratollah Bagheri Ragheb
Abstract
Empowering women as a central pillar of sustainable development requires standardized tools to measure its multifaceted dimensions. The objective of this article was to develop a questionnaire that is both valid and dependable in assessing the empowerment of Iranian women. A questionnaire consisting ...
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Empowering women as a central pillar of sustainable development requires standardized tools to measure its multifaceted dimensions. The objective of this article was to develop a questionnaire that is both valid and dependable in assessing the empowerment of Iranian women. A questionnaire consisting of 37 items in seven domains (psychological, decisional, social, gender, economic, health and welfare, and civic empowerment) was designed. Subsequently, the construct validity of the questionnaire was examined using exploratory factor analysis. The instrument's logical structure was demonstrated by the results, which confirmed seven subscales that accounted for 59% of the variance in the data. Finally, the questionnaire’s reliability was verified by calculating a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.83 for the entire scale, which suggests that the internal consistency is satisfactory. The validity of the results was enhanced by the combination of qualitative and quantitative methods and the utilization of a large sample. This comprehensive questionnaire is capable of measuring the intricate dimensions of women's empowerment in the socio-cultural context of Iran, and by identifying structural challenges, such as socio-cultural barriers, discriminatory laws, and the absence of multi-dimensional, context-specific tools, it identifies the strengths and weaknesses of programs. In contrast, existing tools fail to consider psycho-social dimensions and are not tailored to the context of Persian-speaking societies. The results indicate that this instrument is not only suitable for evaluating the current situation, but it also addresses the gap in previous tools. By identifying the underlying obstacles, it provides the requisite data to revise policies, design multi-dimensional interventions, and monitor progress toward sustainable development goals.
