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Heckert, Jessica, Deanna K. Olney, Marie T. Ruel. Social Science & Medicine. July, 2019. Vol. 233, pp. 93-102.

Women's empowerment is thought to be a critical component in improving household nutrition. To test this theory, researchers used a cluster-randomized controlled trial in Burkina Faso that examined whether empowering women in four domains--purchasing decisions, healthcare decisions, family planning decisions, and spousal communication--improves child nutritional outcomes. The trial used reduction in wasting and an increase in hemoglobin as proxies for improved nutritional outcomes. The researchers found that all four domains contributed to a reduction in wasting; however, none of the domains contributed to an increase in hemoglobin. These findings should lead future nutrition-sensitive programs to incorporate women’s empowerment mechanisms to improve child nutritional status.