Women's empowerment and experience of marital control in sub-Saharan Africa

This study examined the association between women's empowerment (social independence, decision-making, and attitudes to violence) and experience of marital control in sub-Saharan Africa.

A weighted sample of 82,208 was extracted from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in 19 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. We used multinomial and multivariable binary logistic regression analyses to examine the association between the dimensions of women's empowerment and marital control. All the analyses were conducted using Stata 17.0.

Women with high attitudes to violence (adjusted relative risk ratio [aRRR] = 0.72, 95% CI = 0.68, 0.77) were less likely to experience medium marital control than those with low attitudes to violence. Women with medium (aRRR = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.74, 0.86) and high (aRRR = 0.49; 95% CI = 0.46, 0.52) attitudes to violence were less likely to experience high marital control. Women with high social independence were less likely to experience medium and high levels of marital control. Women with medium decision-making capacity were less likely to experience medium marital control. Additionally, women with medium and high decision-making capacity had a reduced likelihood of experiencing high marital control. Partner alcohol consumption, women's exposure to interparental violence, place of residence, wealth index, women's age, and media exposure were the covariates associated with marital control.

This study highlights an association between women's empowerment and marital control. It emphasises the importance of prioritising women's empowerment initiatives to address controlling behaviour by spouses. Governments in sub-Saharan Africa, especially in Eastern African countries, should focus on providing women with quality education and skills development programmes to enhance their economic independence and decision-making capacity.