International Institute for Population Sciences
Deemed to be University (An Autonomous Organization of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India)

Introduction: Empowering women entails providing women authority, and freedom to choose their paths in life. Gender inequality in the distribution of power within households leads to women being disadvantaged access to resources and pursuing opportunities. Objective: To examine how spousal characteristics and husbands’ controlling behaviours shape women’s household and mobility autonomy, highlighting regional disparities across India. Methodology: The analysis uses data from NFHS-5 (2019–21), covering 57,693 couples. Two dimensions of autonomy are studied: household autonomy and mobility autonomy. Two explanatory indices were developed: a power index measuring spousal differences in various attributes, and a controlling index capturing husbands’ restrictive attitudes. Binary logistic regression models are used in the study. Results: Nationally, 70% of women reported high household autonomy, while only 43% reported high mobility autonomy. Northeastern and eastern states displayed relatively high household autonomy, whereas southern states, despite higher levels of development, ranked lowest in both domains. Western India recorded the highest levels of mobility autonomy, while central and southern regions showed the strongest constraints. Women with equal or greater power than their husbands are 15% more likely to enjoy household autonomy and 31% more likely to exercise mobility autonomy. Women reporting no controlling behaviours are more than twice as likely to have household autonomy and 44% more likely to have mobility autonomy. Conclusion: Overall, the study underscores the complexity and multidimensionality of women’s empowerment in India. The intersection of household power relations, socio-economic characteristics, and cultural context shapes autonomy. While spousal equality and absence of controlling behaviours significantly enhance women’s decision-making and mobility. These findings call for region-specific policies for women’s empowerment in India.