14, June 2026

Economic Empowerment of Working Women in the Digital Era: A Factor Analytical Study

VOLUME-12; ISSUE-6; JUNE-2026

Author(s): Dr.P.Karthika

Authors Affiliations:

Assistant Professor, UG Department of Commerce with International Business, NGM College, Pollachi, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu

DOIs:10.2015/IJIRMF/202606018     |     Paper ID: IJIRMF202606018


Abstract
Keywords
Cite this Article/Paper as
References

The rapid expansion of digital technologies has fundamentally reshaped the nature of economic empowerment, particularly among working women. This study investigates the multidimensional structure of economic empowerment in the context of digitalization and modern consumption patterns. Primary data were collected from a sample of 542 working women using a structured questionnaire. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was employed to identify the underlying dimensions of empowerment, supported by the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO = 0.781) measure and Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity (p < 0.001), confirming the adequacy of the data for factor analysis. The results reveal two dominant factors: Economic Autonomy and Digital-Lifestyle Transformation. The first factor captures traditional elements such as income change, savings behaviour, and financial control, reflecting financial independence. The second factor highlights the growing influence of digitalization through variables such as digital expenditure, lifestyle decisions, and quality of life, indicating a shift toward digitally mediated consumption patterns. The scree plot further validates the two-factor structure, demonstrating a clear inflection point after the second component.

The findings suggest that economic empowerment in the digital era is a hybrid construct, integrating financial capability with digital access and usage. Digitalization not only enhances financial inclusion but also significantly influences consumption behaviour and lifestyle choices. The study contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence on the evolving dimensions of empowerment and underscores the need for policies promoting digital financial literacy and inclusive digital infrastructure.

Economic Empowerment, Digitalization, Consumption Patterns, Factor Analysis, Working Women, Financial Autonomy

Dr.P. Karthika (2026); Economic Empowerment of Working Women in the Digital Era: A Factor Analytical Study, International Journal for Innovative Research in Multidisciplinary Field, ISSN(O): 2455-0620, Vol-12, Issue-6, Available on –   https://www.ijirmf.com/

  • Kabeer, N. (2005). Gender equality and women’s empowerment: A critical analysis of the third millennium development goal. Gender & Development, 13(1), 13–24.
  • Sen, A. (1999). Development as freedom. Oxford University Press.
  • Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). (2020). Digital economy outlook 2020. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/bb167041-en
  • World Bank. (2021). Digital financial inclusion. World Bank Group.
  • Duflo, E. (2012). Women empowerment and economic development. Journal of Economic Literature, 50(4), 1051–1079. https://doi.org/10.1257/jel.50.4.1051
  • Suri, T., & Jack, W. (2016). The long-run poverty and gender impacts of mobile money. Science, 354(6317), 1288–1292. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aah5309
  • Demirgüç-Kunt, A., Klapper, L., Singer, D., Ansar, S., & Hess, J. (2018). The Global Findex database 2017: Measuring financial inclusion and the fintech revolution. World Bank. https://doi.org/10.1596/978-1-4648-1259-0
  • (2019). The mobile gender gap report 2019. GSMA. https://www.gsma.com
  • United Nations. (2020). The role of digital financial services in women’s empowerment. United Nations.
  • Agarwal, B. (1997). Bargaining and gender relations: Within and beyond the household. Feminist Economics, 3(1), 1–51. https://doi.org/10.1080/135457097338799
  • Malhotra, A., Schuler, S. R., & Boender, C. (2002). Measuring women’s empowerment as a variable in international development. World Bank.
  • Hilbert, M. (2011). Digital gender divide or technologically empowered women? A typical case of lies, damned lies, and statistics. Women’s Studies International Forum, 34(6), 479–489. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wsif.2011.07.001
  • van Deursen, A. J., & van Dijk, J. A. (2014). The digital divide shifts to differences in usage. New Media & Society, 16(3), 507–526. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444813487959
  • Chen, M. A. (2001). Women in the informal sector: A global picture, the global movement. Harvard University Press.
Post Views: 76

Download Full Paper

Download PDF No. of Downloads:15 | No. of Views: 65