Factors affecting adolescent and youth girls' empowerment: A survey of some areas of rupandehi district

Abstract

The adolescent and youth girls' empowerment is just as crucial as women's empowerment. However, research on women's empowerment has received more attention than that of adolescent and young girls. This study of factors affecting adolescent and youth girls' empowerment may close this gap. A scale with 32 items was constructed and a survey was carried out on 325 adolescent and youth girls of Kanchan Rural Municipality, Gaidahawa Rural Municipility, Suddodhan Rural Municipality and Lumbini Sanskritik Municipality of Rupendehi district of Lumbini, Nepal. An exploratory factor analysis method was employed to explore the factors that affect adolescent and youth girls' empowerment. The factors explored are (i) equality, respect and fairness; (ii) resourcefulness; and (iii) opportunity in making choices. The first and second factors are more or less similar in strength and are stronger than the third. The adolescent and youth girls and their family get benefit from this study because it encourages their empowerment. Additionally, the study's findings might be helpful to governmental and non- governmental organizations that support adolescent and youth girls' empowerment. Keywords: Adolescent and youth girls, empowerment, factor analysis