Power with: conceptualizing and measuring women’s collective agency

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cg.authorship.typesCGIAR and advanced research instituteen_US
cg.contributor.affiliationInternational Food Policy Research Instituteen_US
cg.contributor.affiliationCarolina Population Center en_US
cg.contributor.affiliationBioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agricultureen_US
cg.contributor.affiliationTufts Universityen_US
cg.contributor.donorCGIAR Trust Funden_US
cg.contributor.initiativeGender Equalityen_US
cg.creator.identifierKatrina Kosec: 0000-0002-5126-5215en_US
cg.creator.identifierAudrey Pereira: 0000-0001-7982-7454en_US
cg.howPublishedFormally Published en_US
cg.identifier.projectIFPRI - Natural Resources and Resilience Uniten_US
cg.identifier.projectIFPRI - Poverty, Gender, and Inclusion Uniten_US
cg.identifier.publicationRankNot rankeden_US
cg.isbn92-9146-825-8en_US
cg.number22en_US
cg.placeNairobi, Kenyaen_US
cg.subject.impactPlatformGenderen_US
cg.subject.sdgSDG 5 - Gender equalityen_US
cg.subject.sdgSDG 17 - Partnerships for the goalsen_US
dc.contributor.authorMeinzen-Dick, Ruth S.en_US
dc.contributor.authorElDidi, Hagaren_US
dc.contributor.authorPereira, Audreyen_US
dc.contributor.authorHeckert, Jessicaen_US
dc.contributor.authorKosec, Katrinaen_US
dc.contributor.authorNchanji, Eileenen_US
dc.contributor.authorSeymour, Gregen_US
dc.contributor.authorDoss, Cherylen_US
dc.date.accessioned2024-11-27T06:40:04Zen_US
dc.date.available2024-11-27T06:40:04Zen_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/162778en_US
dc.titlePower with: conceptualizing and measuring women’s collective agencyen_US
dcterms.abstractCollective agency, or power with, is fundamental to feminist approaches to empowerment. Yet despite the growth in measures of women’s empowerment in recent years, and the prevalence of group-based approaches to foster empowerment, conceptualization and empirical measurement of collective agency remains a critical gap. This paper attempts to bridge this gap through a literature review, expert opinions and the experience of researchers working with practitioners who are mobilizing women’s groups in four case studies. We develop a conceptual framework based on Kabeer’s (1999, 2002) framework of resources, agency and achievements. We then use that framework for mapping key concepts related to collective agency, including collective efficacy, collective action, collective achievements, and tangible and intangible resources (including social capital). We discuss the importance of considering these key concepts at the individual and at the collective levels. We illustrate potential methods and challenges of operationalizing these concepts through four case study projects in India, Guatemala, Uganda and Nigeria, and discuss the challenges of developing a common instrument to measure collective agency, in theory and in practice. With examples of how key concepts related to collective agency have been operationalized, the conceptual framework offers guidance for moving beyond simplistic notions that forming groups automatically empowers women. It provides a way to study how different types of groups effectively help women achieve individual and collective goals. Combined with individual respondent characteristics, group-level measures can help researchers and practitioners understand how women can exercise voice and agency in different types of groups. The group-level measures also examine how group composition, organizational structures and decision-making processes impact collective agency and effectiveness.en_US
dcterms.accessRightsOpen Accessen_US
dcterms.audienceCGIARen_US
dcterms.audienceDonorsen_US
dcterms.audienceScientistsen_US
dcterms.bibliographicCitationMeinzen-Dick, R., Hagar, E., Pereira, A., Heckert, J., Kosec, K., Nchanji, E., Seymour, G. and Doss, C. 2024. Power with: conceptualizing and measuring women’s collective agency. CGIAR GENDER Impact Platform Working Paper 22. Nairobi, Kenya: CGIAR GENDER Impact Platform. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/162778en_US
dcterms.isPartOfCGIAR GENDER Impact Platform Working Paperen_US
dcterms.issued2024en_US
dcterms.languageenen_US
dcterms.licenseCC-BY-4.0en_US
dcterms.publisherCGIAR GENDER Impact Platformen_US
dcterms.subjectgenderen_US
dcterms.subjectwomenen_US
dcterms.subjectagricultureen_US
dcterms.typeWorking Paperen_US

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