Deciding Not to Decide: When Is There Power in Not Deciding ?

Marya Hillesland, Cheryl R. Doss, Serena Masino, Martina Querejeta, Aletheia Amalia Donald, Greg Seymour and Clare Clingain

No 11065, Policy Research Working Paper Series from The World Bank

Abstract: Agency—the ability to define one’s own goals and make choices to achieve them—is often measured through questions that capture an individual’s direct involvement in decision-making. Yet not participating in decision-making may not always imply a lack of power. Drawing on the notion of effective power, this paper conceptualizes two forms of this power: effective power by proxy and effective power by influence or persuasion. The paper explores indirect ways of pursuing one’s goals when not directly involved in the decision, using unique mixed methods data from multiple members of rural households in Kilifi County, Kenya. The results indicate that traditional decision-making measures underestimate the agency of some individuals—particularly that of husbands and fathers, who can disproportionately rely on their preferences being met through their effective power by proxy, without bearing the time and cognitive cost of actively engaging in decision-making. The results also indicate that women’s agency varies by marital status and household composition. Focusing on decisions between married women and their husbands overlooks the dynamics of intergenerational households where other members, like mothers-in-law or sons, are involved in the decision-making process. The paper concludes by providing practical recommendations for measuring agency in surveys.

Date: 2025-02-18
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