Descriptive and Inferential Statistics on Women Empowerment Indicators in Jigawa State

Women's empowerment across economic, educational, and decision-making dimensions in Jigawa State, North West Nigeria, can be quantitatively characterised using survey-based indicators to track progress and identify areas requiring policy attention. This study applies descriptive and inferential statistical methods to analyse women empowerment indicators in Jigawa State. A cross-sectional survey enrolled 300 married women of reproductive age from Dutse, Hadejia, and Kazaure local government areas. The survey captured six empowerment indicators: income control, household decision-making participation, educational attainment, contraceptive autonomy, freedom of movement, and freedom from violence. A composite Empowerment Index was computed by summing standardised indicator scores. Means, proportions, confidence intervals, and t-tests comparing urban-rural differences were computed. The mean Empowerment Index score was 34.8 out of 100 (SD = 18.2), indicating low overall empowerment. Income control was the lowest-scoring dimension (mean = 21 percent achievement). Educational attainment was highest-scoring (mean = 48 percent). Urban women scored significantly higher on the composite index than rural women (t = 8.2, p < 0.001, mean difference = 14.3 points). Younger women aged under 30 showed significantly higher empowerment scores than older cohorts. The study provides a quantified empowerment profile for Jigawa State and recommends gender-responsive social protection, girls' education retention interventions, and women's economic inclusion programmes in rural Jigawa communities. Keywords: women empowerment, empowerment index, Jigawa State, descriptive statistics, gender