The respondents were asked about some important and basic aspects of household decision-making. The Fig 3.9 reveals that in outnumber of cases (77.8%), the household decision is made jointly (by husband and wife). When compared about their absolute decision-making (Absolute decision-making refers to decision made by single person –either man or woman, husband or wife) in household affairs, men comprise higher than women (19.4% of men compared to 2.8% women). This makes the fact that men hold higher authority in household affairs. The respondents then were asked about what kinds of matters or affairs they absolutely decide for. They make decision in day-to-day affairs. These include purchase household foods, education of children, choosing of crops, especially chicken crops, contraception, attending meeting and social events, opening and running income-generating businesses/activities. Major barriers for women’s increased absolute decision-making in household affairs. Since women represent very low in absolute decision-making, they were asked about the barriers or obstacles that hinder them from their increased participation in absolute decision-making in household affairs. They identified a number of barriers, which are presented in the table below by district and province.
Barriers of women’s increased participation in absolute decision-making in household affairs
| Sl | Province | District | Barriers for women in decision-making in family |
| 1. | Battambang | Bovel | { Husband is the breadwinner, head of the household [most]. { Want to work outside to earn money to make decision but husband disagree. |
| Rattanak Mondul | { Husband is the breadwinner and head of household. { Cannot go out far away from home or visit neighbors often. { Afraid of domestic violence (argument, beating etc.). { Need capital to run business to be independent. | ||
| 2. | Banteay Meanchey | Thmar Pouk | { Husband is the head of household, breadwinner [most]. { Lack of knowledge compared to husband. { Afraid of domestic violence caused from argument and bargaining. { Cannot go far away from home. |
| Phnom Srok | { Husband is the head of the household and breadwinner. { Cannot go far away from home. { Lack of confidence and wrong decision. { Poor knowledge and capacities compared to husband. | ||
| 3. | Siem Reap | Angkor Thom | { Husband is the breadwinner and head of household [most]. |
| { Want to make money like husband, but lack capital to run a business. | |||
| { Afraid of domestic violence caused from bargaining and argument. | |||
| { Poor knowledge and skills compared to husband. | |||
| { Cannot go far away from home. | |||
| Soutr Nikum | { Husband is the breadwinner and head of household [most]. { Poor knowledge and cannot compete with husband in decision-making. { Want to work to become financially independent. But lack money and husband disagree. | ||
| { Afraid of making wrong decision. | |||
| { Cannot go far away from home. | |||
| { Afraid of domestic violence caused from argument and bargaining. |
A number of factors or barriers make women precarious in terms of decision-making in the family. Some of these factors are socially constructed and others are economic. Husband’s bread-winning role gives them better fallback position in household decision-making and women voluntarily give up the thinking of bargaining. On the other hand, women do not have much income and they are dependent to their husband. All these are rooted to economics.
On the other hand women give up the thinking of bargaining and arguments to avoid possible incidence of domestic violence and intra-household conflict. Women themselves undermine the value of household works that they solely do. They undermine the value of household work because there is no recognition of value of household work both at national economy and household economy. However, they think husband should be privileged in decision-making, as they are the prime breadwinners of the household. Even when they have chance to make decision, they are concerned that they might not make right decision. They lack confidence in terms of decision-making.
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