A Life Course Model of Human Rights Realization, Female Empowerment, and Gender Inequality in India

SummaryThe degree to which females achieve basic human rights in early life plays an enabling role in empowering them during adulthood. A new metric of female status (Full Rights Realization Rate – FRRR) is defined as the proportion of females in early life who fully achieve a basket of basic rights. This metric was developed for four early life stages for females in India. Only small proportions of females achieve life stage specific “full basket” of rights. FRRR in one life stage is positively correlated with FRRRs in subsequent life stages. All FRRRs are positively correlated with adult women’s status.