- Development literature has argued that empowering women can effectively increase the utilisation of maternal health
care. This study examines this hypothesis in the context of Nepal where only 28% of women delivered in facilities. The two-level
random intercept logit models were fitted for data from the Nepal Demographic and Health Surveys 2011. Women?s
empowerment was quantified with a single index constructed from many variables. These variables captured different aspects of
women?s lives and decision-making in their households, and were combined using the principal component analysis method. The
results confirmed a positive relationship between women?s as an inevitable product of the economic development process.