Aspirations and women's empowerment: Evidence from Kyrgyzstan

BY KATRINA KOSEC AND LUCIA CARRILLO

Do ambitious women tend to be more empowered in their households? Our recent study, published in Economics of Transition and Institutional Change (with co-authors Kamiljon Akramov, Bakhrom Mirkasimov, Jie Song, and Hongdi Zhao) suggests that the answer is yes—women with higher aspirations tend to be more involved in intra-household decision-making, and they and their spouses are also more likely to provide non-conflicting reports about what decisions each spouse influences. They are also more likely to marry partners with supportive attitudes towards gender equality and high aspirations.

Photo credit: Rena Effendi/UN Women Europe and Central Asia