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Gendered Empowerment? A Case Study of iDE's Women's Economic Empowerment Model in Gimbuchu, Oromia, Ethiopia

Merrifield, Rebecca LU (2019) MIDM19 20191
Department of Human Geography
LUMID International Master programme in applied International Development and Management
Abstract
As empowerment retains its status as a buzzword among international development agencies, it has lost its essential element – power – intended to highlight the unequal structures and relations allowing disempowerment. Nonetheless, it has proliferated in the discourse and practice of women’s empowerment, as gender equity has become an important cross-cutting issue for many organizations and governments. However, the process of women’s empowerment is not well understood from the unique standpoint of women who experience it as part of NGOs’ project interventions. Utilizing a case study approach and qualitative methods, this thesis focuses on how women experience a women’s economic empowerment model implemented by an NGO in Ethiopia. Centering... (More)
As empowerment retains its status as a buzzword among international development agencies, it has lost its essential element – power – intended to highlight the unequal structures and relations allowing disempowerment. Nonetheless, it has proliferated in the discourse and practice of women’s empowerment, as gender equity has become an important cross-cutting issue for many organizations and governments. However, the process of women’s empowerment is not well understood from the unique standpoint of women who experience it as part of NGOs’ project interventions. Utilizing a case study approach and qualitative methods, this thesis focuses on how women experience a women’s economic empowerment model implemented by an NGO in Ethiopia. Centering on Kabeer’s (1999) three dimensions of empowerment – resources, agency, and achievements – this study sheds light on the empowerment process, as women engage in it individually and collectively. Through discussions and participatory drawings, this thesis finds that the women engaged in the organization’s empowerment model utilized cognitive and relational resources to exercise an efficient from of agency. However, the gendered nature of the model limited women from transforming sufficient material resources into meaningful achievements. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Merrifield, Rebecca LU
supervisor
organization
course
MIDM19 20191
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
women’s empowerment, gender equity, power relations, gender norms, feminism, Ethiopia
language
English
id
8975857
date added to LUP
2019-10-17 13:43:17
date last changed
2019-10-17 13:43:17
@misc{8975857,
  abstract     = {{As empowerment retains its status as a buzzword among international development agencies, it has lost its essential element – power – intended to highlight the unequal structures and relations allowing disempowerment. Nonetheless, it has proliferated in the discourse and practice of women’s empowerment, as gender equity has become an important cross-cutting issue for many organizations and governments. However, the process of women’s empowerment is not well understood from the unique standpoint of women who experience it as part of NGOs’ project interventions. Utilizing a case study approach and qualitative methods, this thesis focuses on how women experience a women’s economic empowerment model implemented by an NGO in Ethiopia. Centering on Kabeer’s (1999) three dimensions of empowerment – resources, agency, and achievements – this study sheds light on the empowerment process, as women engage in it individually and collectively. Through discussions and participatory drawings, this thesis finds that the women engaged in the organization’s empowerment model utilized cognitive and relational resources to exercise an efficient from of agency. However, the gendered nature of the model limited women from transforming sufficient material resources into meaningful achievements.}},
  author       = {{Merrifield, Rebecca}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Gendered Empowerment? A Case Study of iDE's Women's Economic Empowerment Model in Gimbuchu, Oromia, Ethiopia}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}