Vienna Yearbook of Population Research 2021, pp. 255-291, 2021/08/24
Demographic Aspects of Human Wellbeing
The results of empirical studies focusing on gender differences in subjective wellbeingbased on either national or comparative international data are inconclusive.In Turkey, where levels of gender inequality are high, women tend to report higherlevels of life satisfaction than men. This study investigates the relationship betweenfactors related to women’s empowerment and life satisfaction for both ever-marriedand never-married women using the 2018 Turkey Demographic and Health Survey(TDHS), which collected data on life satisfaction for the first time in a TDHS series.The results show that in addition to their material resources and living environment,factors related to women’s agency – i.e., education and participation in decisionmaking– are associated with women’s levels of life satisfaction.
Keywords: women’s empowerment; subjective well-being; life satisfaction; Turkey; 2018 TDHS
