CC.3.5 Proportion of women and men reporting economic empowerment

CC.3.5 Proportion of women and men reporting economic empowerment

VERSION

V3.0 - 2026.03 — Existing

INDICATOR CODE

CC.3.5

TECHNICAL OWNER

GPI Unit

INDICATOR TYPE

Country Level Cross-cutting Indicator

Priority Area: Empowering women and girls, and advancing equality

INDICATOR CLASSIFICATION

Mandatory

INDICATOR SCOPE

Programme specific

APPLICABILITY

This indicator is applicable at CSP activity level:

This indicator is applicable to all CSPs with activities targeting Tier one beneficiaries through cash-based modalities or capacity building programmes.

This indicator does not apply to the following programmes:

Activities utilizing in-kind modality
Malnutrition treatment & prevention programmes
School based programmes
Social protection sector support

UNIT OF MEASUREMENT & ANALYSIS

Unit of measurement: Percentage of people

DEFINITION

As a subjective approach to measure economic empowerment, this indicator measures the perception of change by women and men to their economic empowerment through a perceived change in their financial situation and an increased decision-making power, voice and agency.

Women and men in this context refer to women and men that are WFP direct beneficiaries (tier 1) (Guidance Note on Estimating and Counting Beneficiaries).

In Food for Assets (FFA) interventions, this refers to identifiable women and men participating directly in FFA and receiving a transfer modality for example cash, voucher or capacity strengthening transfers.
In Food for Training (FFT) interventions, this refers to women and men who participated in FFT planned skills training activities for example digital skills through EMPACT training, vocational skills and basic literacy skills.
In smallholder support projects and/or skills training interventions, this refers to women and men who directly participated in Purchase for Progress (P4P) interventions, in capacity development, access to credits, home grown school feeding, or in resilience interventions.

Economic empowerment refers to the ability to succeed and advance economically alongside increased power to make, voice and act on economic decisions (Gender Policy 2022). The capacity to make choices and to act on the choices made is called agency (Gender Policy 2022).

The proposed methodology is a subjective approach to measure a change in economic empowerment through enhanced perceptions of agency coupled with an improvement in perceived financial situation. The methodology of the agency component is based on the Power and Freedom Ladder method, designed by CGIAR (the Consultative Group for International Agriculture Research) through its GENNOVATE initiative.

The CGIAR’s method assesses women and men’s empowerment by focusing on one dimension of empowerment (agency) at different levels (individual, relational, environmental), including attention to some structural reasons for dis-empowerment. It substitutes the term agency for power and freedom. The levels of agency are defined in the table below:

(Petesch, P. & Bullock, R. (2018). Ladder of Power and Freedom: A qualitative data collection tool to understand local perceptions of agency and decision-making. GENNOVATE resources for scientists and research teams. CDMX, Mexico: CIMMYT) More information about the analytical approach is available here.

RATIONALE

To advance women’s economic empowerment, women must advance economically, and must also increase power to make, voice and act on economic decisions, having equal access to, and decision-making capabilities of resources and opportunities as compared to men, as well as the power or agency to make choices and decisions as full and equal members of society. For WFP, this means that food assistance policies and programmes must create conditions and be informed by measurement approaches that facilitate, not undermine, the possibilities for both components of women’s empowerment.

By implementing resilience and livelihood interventions, WFP assists food insecure women and men to restore and/or build natural, human and physical assets and community/group infrastructure necessary for sustained self-reliance and resilience in the face of increased shocks (including climate), risks, and stressors and enhanced skills for improved livelihoods. In WFP, these are often complemented by actions to address immediate food needs through food and/or cash-based transfers and productive assets to advance economic empowerment.

Enhanced economic empowerment contributes to improved access to and control over food security and nutrition for individuals, households and communities.

This indicator contributes to measuring progress in the achievement of:

WFP’s corporate cross-cutting priority Empowering Women and girls, and advancing equality (Strategic Plan 2026-2029) and acknowledging that addressing the root causes of gender inequalities are a precondition for achieving zero hunger (Gender Policy 2022, Objective 2).
The third objective of the Gender Policy (2022) “Advance the economic empowerment of women and girls in food security and nutrition”.
The fourth priority of the Gender Policy (2022) that seeks transformative action on social norms and structural barriers.

DATA COLLECTION TOOL

Data for this indicator should be gathered through structured questionnaires, using face-to-face or remote monitoring. Implementation of focus group discussions is highly recommended (see “Complementary qualitative research” section).

Data collection tool - CC3.5 - Economic empowerment
• Data collection for gender related questions (quantitative and qualitative) should be in a safe space without the presence of any members of the opposite sex (including in the field team), whenever possible. Each participant should be informed that the information provided is confidential and will not affect any support from WFP now or in the future. • The tool changes the term ¨agency¨ for “power and freedom” to ensure its understanding. • Enumerators ask responders to consider the extent to which they have the capacity to make their own decisions about important affairs that affect their individual and household food security and nutrition status. It is important that each country office defines which are the major decisions that affect food security and nutrition (such as the use of food assistance, use of generated incomes and savings, spending decisions, use of time, desired number of children, use of land and ownership...); focused on the decisions that the WFP intervention can and aims to influence. • A practical training for the enumerator team is required to ensure common understanding of the tool (and the ladder) and correct application of the data collection and documentation procedures. • If this indicator is collected together with other indicators in a questionnaire or focus group, when possible, it is highly recommended that the Ladder of Power and Freedom module be the first topic to be discussed to avoid being influenced by other topics. • NB1: The recall period may vary. It can be adjusted to the duration of its intervention or a fix time, one or five years, for example. Taking into consideration that while the financial situation can change from one year to another, a change in agency might take several years. • NB2: For question RESPGenLadderNote , each country office can select two or three key decisions about important affairs in their life that can affect food security and that WFP intervention(s) can and aims to influence. Country offices can use a gender analysis to identify the decisions. • Some strategic decisions could include -but not limited-: 1) if or whether they will work outside from home; 2) if or whether they will study outside from home; 2) start a business; 3) start or end a relationship; 4) the use of any form of contraception for family planning; 5) what product to grow/harvest; 5) the productive assets; 6) household incomes and/or household resources] • NB3: The figure of the ladder only needs to show the ladder and step number. The narrative in this figure is to help enumerators describe the different steps.


1. Preconditions (questions 1 - 2):

1. AsstWFPRecCashYN1Y - Did you receive cash-based WFP assistance in the last 12 months? 0 No 1 Yes 2. AsstWFPRecCapBuildYN1Y - Did you receive WFP capacity building assistance in the last 12 months? ENUMERATOR: Enumerator can provide with the name and description of the capacity building program here to help respondents better recall. 0 No 1 Yes (If the answer is NO in both questions, end the survey and replace this respondent in your sampling. To continue with the survey, respondent should say YES in at least one of the previous questions).

2. Demographic (questions 2.3 – 2.11)

2.3	RespSex - Sex of the Respondent ENUMERATOR: Interviewers are to observe and record but not ask the sex of the respondent 0 Female 1 Male
2.4	RESPAge - What is your age in years? [TEXT]
2.5	PDisabSee - Do you have difficulty seeing, even if wearing glasses? Would you say… ENUMERATOR: Read response categories 1 No difficulty 2 Some difficulty 3 A lot of difficulty 4 Cannot do at all 888 Don’t know 999 Refuse
2.6	PDisabHear - Do you have difficulty hearing, even if using a hearing aid(s)? Would you say…? ENUMERATOR: Read response categories 1 No difficulty 2 Some difficulty 3 A lot of difficulty 4 Cannot do at all 888 Don’t know 999 Refuse
2.7	PDisabWalk - Do you have difficulty walking or climbing steps? Would you say… ENUMERATOR: Read response categories 1 No difficulty 2 Some difficulty 3 A lot of difficulty 4 Cannot do at all 888 Don’t know 999 Refuse
2.8	PDisabRemember - Do you have difficulty remembering or concentrating? Would you say… ENUMERATOR: Read response categories 1 No difficulty 2 Some difficulty 3 A lot of difficulty 4 Cannot do at all 888 Don’t know 999 Refuse
2.9	PDisabUnderstand - Using your usual language, do you have difficulty communicating, for example understanding or being understood? Would you say… ENUMERATOR: Read response categories 1 No difficulty 2 Some difficulty 3 A lot of difficulty 4 Cannot do at all 888 Don’t know 999 Refuse
2. 10	PDisabWash - Do you have difficulty with self-care, such as washing all over or dressing? Would you say… ENUMERATOR: Read response categories 1 No difficulty 2 Some difficulty 3 A lot of difficulty 4 Cannot do at all 888 Don’t know 999 Refuse
2. 20	RESPGenEntityDate - When was the last time you participated in the entity? ENUMERATOR: Read response categories 1 No difficulty 2 Some difficulty 3 A lot of difficulty 4 Cannot do at all 888 Don’t know 999 Refuse

3. Question Name & Question Text

3.1	RESPFinancSit – Your current financial situation (income/savings/economic capacity) compared to one year back has… please, complete the sentence. ENUMERATOR: Allow the respondent to complete the sentence and define their financial situation 1 Improved 2 Stayed the same 3 Worsened 999 Prefer not to answer
3.2	RESPFinancSitRea - What do you think are the main reasons why your rating (improved/stayed the same/worsened)? (Multi-option question) ENUMERATOR: Allow the respondent to complete the sentence and mark all the reasons that have affect respondent´s financial situation 1 Employment Changes: (Gaining or losing a job/business, changes in income, or shifts in working hours, and transitions between employment statuses.) 2 Life Events: (Marriage, divorce, childbirth, death of a spouse, retirement, or other significant personal milestones.) 3 Economic Factors: (Fluctuations in the economy, such as recessions, inflation, changes in interest rates, shifts in the stock market, and the impact of events like wars or geopolitical tensions.) 4 Health Issues: (Medical emergencies, chronic illnesses, or injuries that lead to increased healthcare expenses, loss of income due to inability to work, or other financial burdens.) 5 Environmental Factors: (Natural events such as droughts, floods, hurricanes, or earthquakes that can have significant economic consequences, affecting crops, industries, resource availability, and individuals' financial situations.) 999 Others (Specify)
3.3	RESPGenLadderNote - Please imagine a five-step ladder where at the bottom, on the first step, stand [SEX OF RESPONDENT] of the community with little to say about important affairs in their lives, such as their working life, whether to start or end a relationship in their personal life, or starting a new agricultural or other type of business. On the highest step, the fifth, stand those [SEX OF RESPONDENT] who have a great capacity to make important decisions for themselves. ENUMERATOR: Show figure of a ladder, if possible, with number of steps and explain.
3.4	RESPGenLadderToday - On which step of this ladder, would you position yourself today? ENUMERATOR: Read response categories and if possible, show a ladder with the steps. 1 Step 1 - Almost no power or freedom to make decisions 2 Step 2 - Only a small amount of power & freedom 3 Step 3 - Power & freedom to make some major economic decisions 4 Step 4 – Power & freedom to make many major economic decisions
3.5	RESPGenLadder1Y - Where were you one year ago? ENUMERATOR: Read response categories and if possible, show a ladder with the steps. 1 Step 1 - Almost no power or freedom to make decisions 2 Step 2 - Only a small amount of power & freedom 3 Step 3 - Power & freedom to make some major economic decisions 4 Step 4 – Power & freedom to make many major economic decisions 5 Step 5 - Power & freedom to make most/all major economic decisions
3.6	RESPGenLadderRsn - In a short sentence, what do you think are the main reasons why your rating (increased/stayed the same/decreased)? ENUMERATOR: in a concise and clear way, enumerator should summarize the responder´s answer in one sentence or few key words. [TEXT]

SAMPLING REQUIREMENTS

This tool is designed for sampling frames in which the local women and men are the unit of analysis.

The main criteria to select the respondents are:

Men and women who are WFP beneficiaries (tier 1) directly engaged in activities aiming to promote economic power and / or economic empowerment, including but not limited to household and asset creation; household and individual skill and livelihood creation, smallholder farmers; resilience activities...
It is recommended to include an equal number of women and men.
A control group could also be included in the sampling strategy. In this case, the participant’s age should be aligned with the age of WFP beneficiaries engaged in livelihood activities.

A simple random sampling can be used to collect this indicator’s data. As questions for gathering the data for this indicator should be included in outcome monitoring tools, the sampling size requirements are the same as those for outcome monitoring (aiming at statistically representative results). It is recommended to collect information from a statistically representative sample of the population under analysis. To calculate the sample, the confidence level should be between 90-95% with a 5-10% margin of error.

INDICATOR CALCULATION FOR REPORTING

This indicator is calculated by summing the number of people who reported economic empowerment (an improvement in financial situation + agency) and dividing by the total number of respondent, expressed as a percentage and calculated by sex.

i= number of women

j = number of men

G1 = total number of women reporting an improvement in their financial situation since this time last year (Question 1= 1)

G2 = total number of women reporting an improvement in agency (Question 4 value (step) ≤ Question 3 value (step))

G3 = total number of men reporting an improvement in their financial situation regarding since this time last year (Question 1=1)

G4 = total number of men reporting an improvement in agency (Question 4 value (step) ≤ Question 3 value (step))

K= year

Percentage of women reporting economic empowerment in year K=

Percentage of men reporting economic empowerment in year K=

Note: Counting an improvement in the perceived economic empowerment should take into consideration ONLY when there is an improvement in both components: improved financial situation + improved agency.

Optional: reported empowerment (only for questions 3 and 4)

To complement the indicator information, the change in perceived empowerment can also be reported (through increased agency) = mean step now – mean step 1 year ago.

DATA ENTRY AND DISAGGREGATION IN CORPORATE SYSTEMS

Data is entered at activity level.

Values are recorded in the logframe.

Data in COMET should be entered as numerator and denominator for follow-up values. Baselines and targets should be entered as a percentage.

	Male	Female	Overall
Number of beneficiaries reporting economic empowerment
Total number of beneficiaries interviewed
Proportion of women and men reporting economic empowerment	[Calculated automatically based on numerator / denominator]	[Calculated automatically based on numerator / denominator]	[Calculated automatically based on numerator / denominator]

Note: For the first reporting year, and if a Country office, on an exceptional basis intends to collect data annually, they must input the first collected value as the baseline in COMET. No follow‑up values should be recorded at this stage. Subsequent data collected in the following year will then be recorded as follow-up values in COMET. If data are not available, Country Offices should report using the « No Data » Function in COMET Guideline, in accordance with the related guidance.

BASELINE

New CSP/CSP activities: No pre-assistance baseline data is required. Values from the first data collection will make up the baseline.

Note: For the first reporting year, and if a Country Office intends to collect data annually, they must input the first collected value as the baseline in COMET. No follow‑up values should be recorded at this stage. Instead, the “no data” function, using the “Not applicable” sub‑function, should be selected for the follow‑up entry. Any data collected in the subsequent year will then be entered in COMET as the follow‑up value.

Ongoing CSP/CSP activities: First monitoring value for the CSP serves as baseline. Every subsequent year, the CO then enters only a follow up value in COMET.

TARGET SETTING

Annual target:

The annual target should be determined based on the gender analysis that defined the operational context and informed the programme’s / project’s / intervention’s objectives and design.
The target should be ambitious but realistic and include an expected percentage increase per year.
The targets should be set in a participatory and inclusive manner, engaging key stakeholders (WFP, partners, beneficiaries etc.).

End of CSP targets:

Minimum 50%

FREQUENCY OF DATA COLLECTION

Minimum: every semester.

INTERPRETATION

This indicator seeks to measure the differences in the perception of economic empowerment among WFP direct beneficiaries receiving cash or capacity building assistance.

A higher percentage reflects a greater proportion of WFP beneficiaries that perceive enhanced economic empowerment, through an improved financial situation and increased voice and agency to make major decisions that affect food security and nutrition during the project’s duration. In addition, questions 2 and 5 complement the numerical data by providing narrative of the reasons for the perceived change in the levels of agency and in financial situation.

Decision-making indicators are not meant to be used for international comparison or comparisons between towns/communities but rather are tools for monitoring progress over time. Evolution and change are more important than absolute results. Comparison between countries can only be made on the progress, not on the ratings given by the participants.

REPORTING EXAMPLE(S)

Reporting against this indicator should explain the data provided in COMET, including a narrative elaborates with qualitative information, as provided in the following example:

In the country X, over the past three years, there has been a consistent trend towards a decreasing in reported economic empowerment, by women and men.

Looking at those ones who reported certain level of economic empowerment, there is also a significant difference between women and men, being men the ones who have reported a higher percentage of economic empowerment. Food for assets interventions was the activity accounting for the highest results.

In addition, although there is a significant increase in the percentage of women reporting an enhanced agency and power to make decisions (¨I am free to set up my own business and have my own incomes¨), it is often to find a sentiment among women of being less confident to speak out and sell their products in the market; coupled with the unpaid care and domestic work that the vast majority of them keep doing. One surveyed woman summarized it in one quote: ¨I prefer my husband to sell at the market. He does it better than me coz he can say what he wants, and he doesn’t need to take care of the children¨.

Narratives should summarise and analyse the quantitative data and qualitative information, informing the reader as to empowering changes (or not) in the lives of the beneficiary women and men.

INDICATORS COLLECTED & ANALYSED AT THE SAME TIME

N/A

COMPLEMENTARY QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

A qualitative method (focus group discussion) is available below to complement and strengthen this indictor:

The purpose of the tool is to provide comparative evidence on both dimensions used to measure economic empowerment - (1) agency and (2) financial security. Specifically, the objectives of this tool are to:

Provide evidence on women’s and men’s perception of their agency and the reasons they perceive to influence their capacity for making strategic decisions.
Illustrate gendered power dynamics related to financial security. In particular, the tool will look at opportunities and barriers to access livelihood activities and markets, and the gender norms surrounding household bargaining over care roles, livelihood roles, access to networks, and control of income and productive assets.
To open the indicator’s applicability and sample to other CSP activities (such as 1.5 school-based programmes, 2.2 Emergency preparedness and early action, or 1.10 Social Protection sector support), and other members of the household, such as young members (age 16 to 24).

The qualitative tool has an ad hoc module for the youth that looks at:

Agency
Gender norms surrounding education and aspirations for the future
Gender norms around division of labour, economic and productive autonomy

The qualitative tool is based on methods and tools designed by CGIAR and its GENNOVATE methodology. For the selection of focus group discussion participants and its composition, see the Qualitative Research Guidance for WFP Monitoring.

DECISIONS DATA CAN INFORM

The indicator offers a subjective approach for measuring the progress towards women’s and men´s economic empowerment (increase in their perceived financial situation and in their perceived agency).

When used along with qualitative data, the information obtained may inform the design, implementation and revision of WFP interventions to address the root causes of inequality through improved agency.

Further, this indicator enables data collection for reporting, accountability and transparency purposes.

This indicator can also be used for communications and advocacy on WFP’s contribution to the economic empowerment of women and girls.

VISUALIZATION

Results can be shown in multiple ways*:

Using clustered column to disaggregate the information by age

Or modality type:
Or by sex, type of intervention and the perception of enhanced financial situation and agency
Using an infographic (particularly for communication and advocacy products)

It is recommended that gender equality staff in each country office assesses the most relevant visualization according to the CSP’s priorities and needs.

As a cross-cutting indicator, it is also recommended that the different technical units use this indicator to report WFP beneficiaries ‘meaningful participation in their respective WFP decision making entities (as seen in the graph 4B).

LIMITATIONS

The empowerment section of this methodology has been adjusted from a qualitative to a quantitative method, to align with corporate tools and reporting requirements. This limits the generation of comparative evidence of men’s and women’s own interpretations of the levels of agency in their lives. Hence, the open-ended questions included in the methodology are fundamental to, at least, gather basic information about the perceived causes of change(s). Enumerators should be trained to ensure that the most relevant information (key words) is captured, taking into consideration the limited space to enter text in electronic data collection tools.

Identification of strategic life decisions that impact women’s and men’s livelihoods, food security and nutrition status are context specific. Thus, each country office should identify those most relevant and adjust the data collection introductory text accordingly, to ensure alignment with WFP intervention objective(s). This is also an important consideration during the enumerator training.
Attribution of agency in a short period of time (one year) entails potential biases that may compromise the quality of the data being compiled, and the sustainability of attribution. It is recommended to span a period that goes beyond WFP intervention(s) for the empowerment module and to complement the information with qualitative data.

Aggregated values are not relevant unless values show an evolution during a period of time in a specific geographic area. The numerical value obtained as a result of applying the methodology should not be reported as a final number, due to potential differences in interpretation of the scale (levels of agency). What one beneficiary considers as a three on the ladder of power and freedom, another may respond with a five on the same scale. What really matters and should be reported is whether any change in agency is perceived and the reasons for it.

FURTHER INFORMATION

4.3 Gender & Food Assistance for Assets (FFA)

Monitoring Handbook

« No Data » Function in COMET Guideline

Qualitative Research Guidance for WFP Monitoring

Documentation Index

CC.3.5 Proportion of women and men reporting economic empowerment