We decide together, but not equally: extended family influence on women’s decision-making in India

This qualitative study examined the impact of extended family networks on women's autonomy in household decision-making in relation to marriage, reproduction, mobility, social visits, household expenses, and living arrangements. Based on interviews with 24 married women aged 15-49 years in Kurla, Maharashtra, the findings indicate that women's autonomy was not solely influenced by household structure, but was negotiated within the context of intergenerational hierarchies, gender norms, and socioeconomic conditions. The influence of extended kin on women's decision-making in joint families was evident in various domains, including marriage, child and maternal health, and mobility. In contrast, the influence of kinship in nuclear households manifested through subtle expectations and indirect interventions in financial and living arrangement decisions. Economic participation and education can enhance decision-making; however, agency remains shaped by class, position, and family ties. Rather than guaranteeing emancipation, the nuclearisation of family structures likely reconfigures the influence of extended kin, with relational ties continuing to shape decision-making across domains. Addressing gender equity in patrilocal societies requires contextual, family-centred approaches that account for kin, gender, and power interactions.