To make agency measurement more practical and scalable, MAGNET has developed short-form versions of four tools, now being piloted across five data collections. These innovations aim to reduce respondent burden while preserving the reliability and richness of the original measures. The Critical Consciousness Scale was streamlined from 45 to 12 questions through rigorous psychometric analysis […]
MAGNET seminar explores new measures of agency in rural Kenya
Drawing on mixed methods research from rural Kenya, Marya Hillesland (gender advisor at KIT institute and visiting fellow at the University of Oxford) highlighted how traditional empowerment measures may underestimate agency when presenting the virtual seminar Deciding Not to Decide: When Is There Power in Not Deciding? on April 25, 2025. Opening remarks by Clara […]
New working paper: When is there power in not deciding?
A new World Bank Working Paper, Deciding Not to Decide: When Is There Power in Not Deciding? by Marya Hillesland, Cheryl R. Doss, Serena Masino, Martina Querejeta, Aletheia Amalia Donald, Greg Seymour, and Clare Clingain, challenges traditional ways of measuring empowerment. Drawing on unique mixed methods data with over 1,800 adults in rural Kenya, the […]
MAGNET seminar showcases new scales to measure agency in lower-income settings
Maria Hernandez-de-Benito presented the paper virtual Measuring Agency Through Psychological Constructs in Lower-Income Settings on November 18, 2024. The seminar also featured the World Bank’s Africa Chief Economist Andrew Dabalen provided opening remarks, and the Africa Gender Innovation Lab’s Senior Economists Clara Delavallade and Aletheia Donald served as discussant and moderator. The seminar showcased the […]
Maria Hernandez de Benito presents MAGNET tools at the International Behavioral Public Policy Conference
Maria Hernandez de Benito presented innovative measurement tools from the MAGNET initiative at the International Behavioral Public Policy Conference (IBPPC) on June 24, 2024. The session, titled "Measuring Social and Gender Norms for Better Policy Design," also featured contributions from Ana Maria Munoz Boudet, Dana Qarout, and Maurizio Bussolo. Agency and social norms are pivotal […]
International Food Policy Research Institute