Area of Inquiry 2: Household Decision-making

In many societies, the household comprises the heart of private life. Within households, access to decision-making and resources can be variable although all members are affected by these decisions and practices. In many places, for example, issues of sexual relations, family planning and household spending are under the control of the male household head. Patterns of decision-making vary by place, class, caste and ethnicity. Within a given group, decision-making will vary from household to household. To ensure effective programming, it is critical to understand how decisions are made within a household and how these processes have evolved across time. It is also important to understand how programs might affect household decision-making processes in ways that may pave the way toward more equitable relationships or reinforce gender inequalities at the household level.

 

Agency	Structures	Relations	Related Tools
In what kinds of decisions do women in the household participate? Or decide on their own? (Household management, schooling for children, family decision-making, family planning, etc.) What avenues or strategies do women engage to influence household decisions? What information or competencies does this require?	What are household norms and community expectations in terms of decision-making processes? What policies or laws regulate how household decisions are made? Are there civil society groups focused on promoting policy changes on these regulations?	In typical households in your impact group, how are household decisions made? Who is involved in key decisions concerning the household (i.e. income and expenditures, family planning, education, food allocation within the household, etc.) and how are negotiations about these decisions managed? Collectively – how do women and men mobilize or advocate around this issue and with whom? How are CARE’s programs relating to groups’ goals and actions? How are these groups related to other key stakeholders/institutions (private enterprise, government, religious institutions, etc.)?	Higher Level Conditions Macro-Secondary Analysis Policy Analysis Governance Analysis Key Informant Interviews Gender Norms and Trends Mapping Institutions/ Stakeholders Community Dynamics Network Analysis Measuring Attitudes toward Women and Gender Equality Mapping Institutions/ Stakeholders Critical Incidents Dependency/Influence Mapping Decision-making exercises Key Informant Interviews Household Dynamics Intra-Household Decision-Making Income and Expenditures Matrices or Pie Charts

 

Special Consideration for Children and Adolescents

• Do girls and boys have equal opportunities to develop skills necessary for household decision-making later in life?
• How are girls and boys given needed support in learning negotiation, finance, and other life skills? Are these equally available to both?

 

Reminder: Remain sensitive to the diverse and changing roles and relationships

• Trends and changes across time – how values, norms and expectations around gender have changed over the decades (positively and negatively) and what influences led to these changes.
• How different age groups (younger children, adolescents, adults and elderly) as well as marital status (unmarried, married, widowed, divorced) can make a difference to people’s lived experiences.
• The multiple roles and relationships both women and men maintain (for example, as sexual partners, household and clan members, citizens of a broader community, economic actors, etc.).