Grassroots Organizations and Women’s Empowerment in a Post-Conflict Region: Evidence from Women Organizations in Northern Uganda

Abstract

This paper examines the effects of participation in women’s grassroot organizations (WGOs) on women’s empowerment. The analysis is based on cross-sectional survey data from northern Uganda. We study multiple dimensions of empowerment including economic and health care decisions, attitudes towards domestic violence, decision-making over functionings, political and civic participation, personal agency, and leadership. The empirical results suggest no significant effect of WGO membership, participation or satisfaction on empowerment. We argue that these findings raise new questions about why women join WGOs in post-conflict contexts and what the mechanics of individual and collective empowerment are.