Development and Validation of a Tool to Measure Gender Equality Among Adults in a Slum of Kolkata, India

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INTRODUCTION: Gender equality is a critical social determinant of health and well-being that influences an individual throughout the span of life. The conditions and constructs related to gender are highly specific and depend heavily on the social contexts in which individuals live. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to develop and validate a tool to assess gender equality in the Indian context, particularly in a slum of Kolkata, where layered gender-based inequities exist. METHODS: The study was undertaken over the period of 12 months, from March 2024 to March 2025. A robust literature review and qualitative methods, such as in-depth interviews with experts, were used to develop the initial pool of items - 98 items that were refined and reduced to 23 after three rounds of Delphi among five experts and member checking. The questionnaire, containing the 23 items and sociodemographic details, was administered to a sample of 134 women and 96 men (a total of 230 individuals) residing in a slum of Kolkata. Statistical analyses were done in Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS, version 16; IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Armonk, NY) and Jamovi v.2.6.13. RESULTS: The initial 23-item gender equality scale, developed through literature review and expert input, was administered to 230 adults in a Kolkata slum. Content validity led to the removal of five items with an item-content validity index (I-CVI) of < 0.8. Reliability analysis showed strong internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.93), and one item was dropped for low item-total correlation. Exploratory factor analysis supported a three-factor solution consistent with the theoretical framework: access to resources, recognition and dignity, and participation in decision-making. All domains demonstrated strong internal consistency (α > 0.80) and moderate inter-domain correlations (r = 0.33-0.55), supporting their distinct yet related nature. The final scale comprised 21 items and showed good psychometric properties for use in similar community settings. CONCLUSION: A reliable, context-specific tool to measure gender equality at the community level was developed and validated in a slum population of Kolkata. The scale demonstrated strong internal consistency and aligned with key conceptual domains. It holds potential for generating granular data to inform focused interventions targeting the gendered determinants of health.

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