A Correlation Study on Women’s Empowerment and Household Poverty in Rural China

This study analyzed the correlation between women’s empowerment and household poverty status in rural China. It constructed a women’s empowerment index based on women’s empowerment theories and practices in agriculture. It applied per capita per day expenditure thresholds to define poverty. Using data obtained from two rounds of questionnaire-based surveys on 558 revisited rural households in 2015 and 2021, this research found that the average women’s empowerment index in rural China has increased from 0.66 to 0.72. Most of empowerment indicators progressed between the two surveys but the village assembling indicator appeared to be a retreat. In general, households with a higher level of women’s empowerment were less poor. 188 households have empowered their females in both survey years while 135 households in neither survey years. Focusing on these 323 households with constant women’ empowerment status and using logistic regression, this research further found significant negative correlations between women’s empowerment and poverty. The probability of being poor for households that empowered women was 13.4% lower than those who didn’t. Our findings have implications for policy-making that empowering women would bring more benefit to rural households to get rid of poverty. It also reminds that both economic and social dimensions of women’s empowerment need to be considered when developing empowerment strategies.