Full Citation

Title: Investigating the impacts of rainfall, armed conflict, and COVID-19 shocks on women’s household decision-making among partnered women in Burkina Faso

Citation Type: Journal Article

Publication Year: 2023

ISBN: 0123456789

ISSN: 1573-7810

DOI: 10.1007/S11111-023-00432-5

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Abstract: Exposure to singular or overlapping external shocks, such as rainfall extremes, armed conflict, and COVID-19, may catalyze a shift in gendered power dynamics within affected households as they cope with associated threats to their safety and livelihoods. Despite evidence that women are disproportionately affected by such shocks, little scientific work has assessed the separate and combined impacts of these three external shocks on women’s lives. In this study, we examined the distinct and overlapping associations between extreme events—growing season rainfall anomalies, armed conflict during the growing season, and COVID-19—and women’s daily decision-making power in Burkina Faso. We employed longitudinal survey data from IPUMS Performance Monitoring for Action (PMA), a complex and spatially referenced dataset. These data were collected from a population-representative sample of women of reproductive age (15–49 years) in Burkina Faso across two timepoints: 2019/2020 (December 2019–February 2020) and 2020/2021 (December 2020–March 2021). PMA data from Burkina Faso contain detailed questions on women’s sociodemographic characteristics, health, and household dynamics. We spatially linked these data with (1) external rainfall data, (2) armed conflict event data, and (3) PMA coronavirus-specific follow-up survey data (containing COVID-19 knowledge and prevention behaviors) collected in June and July of 2020. Using log-binomial general estimating equation (GEE) models, we examined the relationship between extreme events—wetter-than-usual growing season, armed conflict (that resulted in at least one death), and COVID-19—and increased daily decision-making power among women. We found strong and significant associations between experiencing a wetter-than-usual growing season (i.e., greater than 1 standard deviation above 10-year mean) and women being less likely to have increased daily decision-making power in the household compared those experiencing usual rainfall during the growing season [prevalence ratio (PR): 0.70, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.56, 0.87]. Similarly, residing in an area that was more affected by the COVID-19 pandemic (i.e., where 80% or more of respondents in the community reported staying home to avoid COVID-19) was also associated with women being less likely to have increased daily decision-making power in the household [PR: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.61, 0.91]. We did not observe any significant association between armed conflict and increased daily decision-making among women [PR: 1.15, 95% CI: 0.84, 1.57]. These trends indicate that women’s decision-making power within partnerships may be negatively impacted by certain household shocks. Centering women (and other marginalized and vulnerable communities) in the leadership, implementation, and as key beneficiaries of crisis response efforts may be an effective strategy to combat some of these constraints on women’s decision-making and even empower them within their households and communities.

Url: https://link-springer-com.ezp1.lib.umn.edu/article/10.1007/s11111-023-00432-5

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Authors: Luetke, Maya; Grace, Kathryn; Gunther, Matt

Periodical (Full): Population and Environment

Issue: 23

Volume: 45

Pages: 1-36

Data Collections: IPUMS Global Health - DHS, IPUMS Global Health - PMA

Topics: Crime and Deviance, Family and Marriage, Natural Resource Management

Countries: Burkina Faso