Measuring gender dynamics: the meaning of “joint” decisions in household surveys

Michelle J. Hindin, Johns Hopkins University

Over the past decade, household decision-making patterns have become key measures of gender dynamics. This paper focuses on the measurement and classification of joint decision-making using multiple data sources. Based on Demographic and Health Surveys data, joint decision-making is common in some countries and across domains. Using data from DHS III , semi-structured interviews conducted in Harare, Zimbabwe, and the Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey (CLHNS) from the Philippines, it is evident that questions about decision-making need to distinguish between joint input and joint final say. Questions from the CLHNS about how many out of six total votes husbands and wives would get in household decisions indicate that joint input, even if the husband or wife has final say alone, reflect nearly equal decision-making power---these results are likely to vary by social context and domain of decision-making. Recommendations for how to measure decision-making in household surveys are provided.