Date of Graduation
7-2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Agricultural Economics (MS)
Degree Level
Graduate
Department
Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness
Advisor/Mentor
Durand-Morat, Alvaro
Committee Member
D'Haese, Marijke
Second Committee Member
Moore, Maya
Third Committee Member
Gao, Shijun
Keywords
Empowerment; Madagascar; Rice; Women
Abstract
This study examines the relationship between women’s empowerment and household poverty among rice-farming households in the Alaotra-Mangoro region of Madagascar. Despite global progress in poverty reduction, rural agricultural households remain disproportionately vulnerable, with structural constraints such as low productivity, limited market access, and gender-based inequalities contributing to persistent poverty. Within this context, women’s empowerment has emerged as a key policy priority under the Sustainable Development Goals, yet empirical evidence linking empowerment directly to monetary poverty remains limited, particularity in Madagascar. Using data from 405 households collected through a structured survey in August 2025, this study employs the newly developed Women’s Empowerment Metric for National Statistical Systems (WEMNS), a multidimensional and policy-oriented measure capturing intrinsic, instrumental, collective, and resource-based agency. Poverty is proxied using the Simple Poverty Scorecard, converted into continuous probability of falling below the national poverty line. Fractional regression models are used to account for the bounded nature of the dependent variable. Results show that aggregate measures of women’s empowerment are not significantly associated with poverty likelihood, suggesting that empowerment operates through heterogeneous pathways. When disaggregated, agency-enabling resources emerge as the only domain significantly associated with a lower likelihood of poverty. At the indicator level, access to information and communication technology (ICT) and secure transfer rights over land and dwellings are both negatively associated with poverty likelihood, highlighting the importance of resource-based empowerment. In contrast, indicators such as freedom in livelihood choices and influence over time allocation are positively associated with poverty likelihood, suggesting these may reflect necessity-driven labor rather than improved economic opportunity. These findings highlight the importance of moving beyond aggregate measures and targeting specific dimensions of empowerment. Policies that expand women’s access to productive resources, strengthen land rights within socio-cultural systems, and improve access to technology may be most effective in reducing poverty. While results are associative rather than causal, they offer practical guidance for designing gender-responsive interventions in agricultural communities.
Citation
Ultes, S. A. (2026). Women's Empowerment and Poverty: Evidence from Rice-Farming Households in Madagascar. Graduate Theses and Dissertations Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/6353
