Participation in household decision-making among married women in rural and urban areas of Bankura, West Bengal: A comparative study

BACKGROUND: In spite of being an integral part of family and pivotal force in any kind of progress, women are traditionally less involved in decision-making at all levels. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess the extent of women's participation in household decision-making and find its correlates. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in rural and urban field practice areas of Bankura Sammilani Medical College, West Bengal, from January to June 2017. Married women were selected by multistage sampling. After obtaining informed consent, interview using a predesigned schedule was done at their houses regarding participation in various household-level decisions. The relationship between variables was determined by Chi-square test, unpaired t-test, and multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Most of the participants were within 18-26 years of age and belonged to general caste of lowermiddle socioeconomic status. Majority of the participants in both the study areas were married for >= 5, homemakers with education >= secondary level and belonged to joint family. High level of overall participation was found among urban women than their rural counterpart. The extent of participation was statistically associated with age, occupation, and type of family in both urban and rural areas. CONCLUSION: Women's empowerment through vocational training and creating conducive environment for availing job is important for improving women's participation in household-level decision-making.