The main objective of this study is to evaluate women empowerment in different contexts of
family planning and economic decision making within the household. Further this paper
investigates its appropriate determinants sifting through sociology resource control theory
and economic bargaining theory by controlling for socio-cultural intervening factors. We
examine this empirically by utilizing extensive micro level data information (15,453
households) from ‘Pakistan Social and Living Standards Measurement Survey’ (PSLM) for
the year of 2005-06. Results suggest the presence of highly constrained and largely
dichotomous empowerment within the household. Interestingly, we find that the number of
children however not the sex of a child relevant in enhancing women’s empowerment.
Further, the common determinants of empowerment depict varying degree of effectiveness
depending on the specific context of empowerment. Moreover, socio-economic, level of
education and employment status of a woman depict as effect modifier factors across the
empowerment contexts and regions. Furthermore, geographic divisions within Pakistan,
significantly explain the contextual empowerment of women.