To strengthen and standardize a measurement of reproductive empowerment among women in sub-Saharan Africa, MEASURE Evaluation—a project funded by the United States Agency for International Development—recently developed and validated a multidimensional scale that can be incorporated in survey instruments. The Reproductive Empowerment Scale consists of five short subscales that measure women’s communication with healthcare providers; communication with partners; decision-making; social support; and social norms on issues related to women’s reproductive health and fertility.
