Development and validation of the Women Autonomy Scale for measuring psychosocial freedom from conventional gender roles
Abstract Background The concepts of masculinity and femininity have historically shaped gender roles, leading to inequality and gender-based discrimination. Women’s autonomy, defined as the ability to make independent choices across various life domains, remains inadequately measured by existing sca...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | BMC Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02393-w |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832571209056780288 |
|---|---|
| author | Waqar Husain Farrukh Ijaz Muhammad Ahmad Husain Achraf Ammar Khaled Trabelsi Haitham Jahrami |
| author_facet | Waqar Husain Farrukh Ijaz Muhammad Ahmad Husain Achraf Ammar Khaled Trabelsi Haitham Jahrami |
| author_sort | Waqar Husain |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background The concepts of masculinity and femininity have historically shaped gender roles, leading to inequality and gender-based discrimination. Women’s autonomy, defined as the ability to make independent choices across various life domains, remains inadequately measured by existing scales. This study addresses this gap by developing and validating the Women Autonomy Scale (WAS). Methods The development and validation of the WAS involved four phases with a total of 2,252 adult women from Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Pakistan. These phases included exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and assessments of convergent and discriminant validity by using the Psychosocial Life Satisfaction Scale and the Dependent Personality Disorder sub-scale of the Personality Disorders Questionnaire. Results The WAS demonstrated high reliability across the four phases (α = 0.810 to 0.857). Test-retest reliability was 0.788 after two weeks of initial administration. EFA revealed a four-factor structure consisting of 18 items: personal freedom, freedom from conventional femininity, freedom from conventional masculinity, and freedom from shame. CFA confirmed this structure, showing good fit indices (CFI = 0.951, RMSEA = 0.052). The scale’s convergent validity was established through a significant positive correlation with the Psychosocial Life Satisfaction Scale (r = 0.394, p < 0.01), and discriminant validity was confirmed via a significant inverse correlation with the Dependent Personality Disorder sub-scale (r = -0.255, p < 0.01). Conclusion The WAS is a reliable and valid instrument for comprehensively assessing women’s autonomy. It addresses limitations of previous measures and provides a robust tool for research and policymaking aimed at promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-fbcdcf104eb449b0a1ba19bc1ea80f16 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2050-7283 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Psychology |
| spelling | doaj-art-fbcdcf104eb449b0a1ba19bc1ea80f162025-02-02T12:48:06ZengBMCBMC Psychology2050-72832025-01-0113111610.1186/s40359-025-02393-wDevelopment and validation of the Women Autonomy Scale for measuring psychosocial freedom from conventional gender rolesWaqar Husain0Farrukh Ijaz1Muhammad Ahmad Husain2Achraf Ammar3Khaled Trabelsi4Haitham Jahrami5Department of Humanities, COMSATS University IslamabadDepartment of Humanities, COMSATS University IslamabadDepartment of Humanities, COMSATS University IslamabadDepartment of Training and Movement Science, Institute of Sport Science, Johannes Gutenberg- University MainzResearch laboratory Education, Motricité, Sport et Santé, EM2S, LR19JS01, High Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Sfax, University of SfaxDepartment of Psychiatry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Government Hospitals, Arabian Gulf UniversityAbstract Background The concepts of masculinity and femininity have historically shaped gender roles, leading to inequality and gender-based discrimination. Women’s autonomy, defined as the ability to make independent choices across various life domains, remains inadequately measured by existing scales. This study addresses this gap by developing and validating the Women Autonomy Scale (WAS). Methods The development and validation of the WAS involved four phases with a total of 2,252 adult women from Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Pakistan. These phases included exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and assessments of convergent and discriminant validity by using the Psychosocial Life Satisfaction Scale and the Dependent Personality Disorder sub-scale of the Personality Disorders Questionnaire. Results The WAS demonstrated high reliability across the four phases (α = 0.810 to 0.857). Test-retest reliability was 0.788 after two weeks of initial administration. EFA revealed a four-factor structure consisting of 18 items: personal freedom, freedom from conventional femininity, freedom from conventional masculinity, and freedom from shame. CFA confirmed this structure, showing good fit indices (CFI = 0.951, RMSEA = 0.052). The scale’s convergent validity was established through a significant positive correlation with the Psychosocial Life Satisfaction Scale (r = 0.394, p < 0.01), and discriminant validity was confirmed via a significant inverse correlation with the Dependent Personality Disorder sub-scale (r = -0.255, p < 0.01). Conclusion The WAS is a reliable and valid instrument for comprehensively assessing women’s autonomy. It addresses limitations of previous measures and provides a robust tool for research and policymaking aimed at promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02393-wWomen autonomyGender rolesMasculinityFemininityPsychometrics. |
| spellingShingle | Waqar Husain Farrukh Ijaz Muhammad Ahmad Husain Achraf Ammar Khaled Trabelsi Haitham Jahrami Development and validation of the Women Autonomy Scale for measuring psychosocial freedom from conventional gender roles BMC Psychology Women autonomy Gender roles Masculinity Femininity Psychometrics. |
| title | Development and validation of the Women Autonomy Scale for measuring psychosocial freedom from conventional gender roles |
| title_full | Development and validation of the Women Autonomy Scale for measuring psychosocial freedom from conventional gender roles |
| title_fullStr | Development and validation of the Women Autonomy Scale for measuring psychosocial freedom from conventional gender roles |
| title_full_unstemmed | Development and validation of the Women Autonomy Scale for measuring psychosocial freedom from conventional gender roles |
| title_short | Development and validation of the Women Autonomy Scale for measuring psychosocial freedom from conventional gender roles |
| title_sort | development and validation of the women autonomy scale for measuring psychosocial freedom from conventional gender roles |
| topic | Women autonomy Gender roles Masculinity Femininity Psychometrics. |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02393-w |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT waqarhusain developmentandvalidationofthewomenautonomyscaleformeasuringpsychosocialfreedomfromconventionalgenderroles AT farrukhijaz developmentandvalidationofthewomenautonomyscaleformeasuringpsychosocialfreedomfromconventionalgenderroles AT muhammadahmadhusain developmentandvalidationofthewomenautonomyscaleformeasuringpsychosocialfreedomfromconventionalgenderroles AT achrafammar developmentandvalidationofthewomenautonomyscaleformeasuringpsychosocialfreedomfromconventionalgenderroles AT khaledtrabelsi developmentandvalidationofthewomenautonomyscaleformeasuringpsychosocialfreedomfromconventionalgenderroles AT haithamjahrami developmentandvalidationofthewomenautonomyscaleformeasuringpsychosocialfreedomfromconventionalgenderroles |