This paper explores determinants of women’s autonomy in Egypt around the time of the initial
Arab Spring uprising in 2011.While previous research focuses on individual determinants, we
examine individual, household, and community effects on women’s autonomy. Using the 2006
and 2012 Egyptian Labor Market Panel Survey (ELMPS), multilevel models show that across all
autonomy outcomes, household wealth and region are consistently associated with women’s
autonomy. In 2006 and 2012, women in rural and urban Upper Egypt have less autonomy
compared to women in the Cairo region, and in 2012, characteristics of spouses, like education,
are important determinants of women’s autonomy