The Tie That Binds: Early Marriage and Women’s Empowerment in Two Indian States

Sanyukta Mathur, International Center for Research on Women (ICRW)
Jeffrey Edmeades, International Center for Research on Women (ICRW)
Sreela DasGupta, International Center for Research on Women (ICRW)
Anju Malhotra, International Center for Research on Women (ICRW)
Dipankar Bhattacharya, International Center for Research on Women (ICRW)

This study explores the relationship between early marriage and women’s empowerment in Bihar and Jharkhand, two of the poorer states in India. This study aims to fill an important gap in the research on the determinants of women’s empowerment by focusing specifically on age at marriage as a determinant of women’s empowerment. To date the majority of research on the effects of early marriage has focused on demographic and health outcomes, often with the assumption that women’s empowerment is also negatively affected. Using a dataset focused specifically on youth, we are able to explore this issue in depth, using a multi-dimensional conceptualization of autonomy. In contrast to much of the research in this area, we are able to examine different dimensions of women’s empowerment both individually and collectively, providing a more comprehensive assessment of this relationship.