Women Empowerment at a
Global Level
Empowering
women to participate fully in economic life across all sectors is
essential for building stronger economies, achieving internationally
agreed goals for development and improving the quality of life for
families and communities.
The empowerment of women is often identified
as an important aim of international development policies and many donor
agencies now include women’s empowerment in their development plans and
strategies. Although empowerment is often conceptualised as a process (Cueva
Beteta 2006)1, most quantitative studies have been
cross-sectional, comparing individual women with others in their
communities or societies (Malhotra and Schuler 2005)2.
Women in research studies are usually
compared with their pre-existing situation and how they have evolved to
become more powerful, influencing and independent. These studies can be
valuable for cross-national comparisons (UNDP 1995; Ibrahim and Alkire
2007)3 and for documenting changes over time. It is important
to keep in mind that the meaning of empowerment indicators are likely to
evolve over time and that these changes too should be taken into
account, both in developing interventions to foster women’s empowerment
and in documenting empowerment processes.
This article tries to present the global
scenario of projects working on women’s empowerment and the research
methodologies being followed to monitor the outcomes and impacts on the
ground.
Fostering Women’s Economic Growth through
Special Economic Zones
The International Finance Corporation along
with the World Bank under their Gender Action Plan has prepared a case
study on Fostering Women’s Economic Growth through Special Economic
Zones in Bangladesh. This study examines the role that Export Processing
Zones (EPZs) can play in creating initiatives that promote women’s
economic participation as a way to boost trade-zone competitiveness and
generate sustainable jobs. This case study is based on findings from a
combination of stakeholder interviews, qualitative factory-based
research and desk research. The primary research included 45 one-on-one
and group interviews with civil society groups, workers’ organisations,
government and private-sector stakeholders (including international
buyers and factory managers). The major impacts from this project are as
follows:
Benefits to women: Direct benefits
through increasing female workers’ health awareness and their access to
information and services both within the factory clinic and through
outside referrals.
Benefits to business: Programme
delivered a $3:$1 return on investment in the form of reduced
absenteeism, reduced turnover, and increased productivity4.
Initiative for the Economic Empowerment
of Women Entrepreneurs Project
In 2008, Africare began an Initiative for
the Economic Empowerment of Women Entrepreneurs Project (IEEWEP) with
funding by Exxon Mobil. The goal of the project was to increase women’s
income and participation in local businesses in Southern Chad. In a
society that relies heavily on agriculture, IEEWEP streamlined the way
women farmed and took their goods to the market by training them on
better agricultural practices and opening two new agro-processing
centres5. In the past three years, more than 1,000 women have
worked through a graduated business development project, which has
diversified their income sources and increased their annual income by
approximately 70%. It has been researched and validated by third party
evaluators that IEEWEP is working on the women’s group effectively. The
researchers have taken a broader perspective and included both
qualitative and quantitative indicators of women empowerment in their
research.
Women Economic Empowerment Community
Infrastructure Improvement Project (WEE-CIIP)
AWAZ Foundation Pakistan: Centre for
Development Services is implementing the Women Economic Empowerment –
Community Infrastructure Improvement Project (WEE-CIIP) since May 2010
in Pakistan. This project is supporting the economic and social
empowerment of disadvantaged rural women in selected 50 Union Councils
of four districts of South Punjab (Muzaffargarh, Vehari, Rajanpur and
Multan)6. The project uses a right based approach to pursue
its agenda of providing a solid solution to alleviating poverty. In
addition, the project will build the capacity of local government to be
able to monitor the road work as well as act as a catalyst for destitute
women to support establishing their enterprises / small businesses.
The major impacts of the project have been
as follows:
• 1875 rural poor, widows, marginalised and
vulnerable women were identified and provided with job opportunities.
• 3250 km earthen road has been repaired and
maintained in 50 Union Councils of four districts (Multan, Muzaffargarh,
Rajanpur and Vehari).
• 750 rural poor women developed their
businesses and started income generation activities through their
savings during their two years employment. As a result their 1534
children enrolled in schools who were earlier involved in child labour.
26 women (divorced and widows) became married.
• 1410 women capacitated in business
development, basic health and human rights. As a result 1125 women have
built latrines in their houses and proper use of these latrines has
started. These women are now well aware of their inheritance rights and
they have stopped many early marriages in their villages.
• Health insurance facility has been given
to 750 women and they are getting benefits through panel hospitals.
• Mobile phones have been provided to all
1875 women for communication and mobile banking.
Global Women’s Economic Empowerment
Initiative by Swasti in collaboration with Walmart
To empower female garment factory workers
and to create a productive workforce, Swasti with the support of
Wal-Mart Foundation, has been implementing the Global Women's Economic
Empowerment Initiative. By 2017, this programme aims to reach 60,000
women who work in factories that supply products to Wal-Mart and other
retailers. The programme will be implemented in 150 factories in India,
Bangladesh, Honduras, El-Salvador and China. In India, the programme is
implemented by Swasti in 15 factories across the three states of
Karnataka, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu and has so far reached about 13,876
factory workers.
Through this programme, Swasti has been able
to impart foundational training to about 9487 factory workers in 13
factories. Swasti has also been able to reach out to about 147 families
of factory workers through the ‘Family Orientation’ programme7.
The intervention has started to show phenomenal outcomes in the lives of
women with improved self-confidence and a positive attitude towards life
in general. The programme has also sensitised the workforce about gender
equality with women being provided equal opportunities. Swasti has been
able to create increased awareness on health, personal hygiene,
nutrition and on ways to increase one's savings. Workers have now become
aware about informed leave. This is resulting in reduced absenteeism,
increased productivity and sustained interest in the workplace.
To conclude, it might be observed that India
has enacted many constitutional and legislative provisions for
empowerment of women. Many development schemes especially for women have
also been launched for improving their lot. Such measures have started
giving positive outcomes relating to women’s problems. But the position
of women in our country still leaves much to be desired. Top priority
should be given in our developmental plans for improving female literacy
and creating skills and capability among women for enabling them to
stand on their own feet. Unless the process of development is properly
engendered, it shall remain endangered.
■
Parul Verma
pverma@devalt.org
References:
1 Betata CH, 2006, “What is missing in measures of Women's Empowerment?
Journal of Human Development”
2 Malhotra A., Schuler S. R.2005, “Women’s empowerment as a variable in
international development”
3 UNDP 1995; Ibrahim and Alkire 2007, “Women's empowerment revisited: a
case study from Bangladesh”
4 Gender Action Plan 2011, “Fostering Women’s Economic Empowerment
Through Special Economic Zones, Comparative Analysis of Eight Countries
and Implications for Governments, Zone Authorities and Businesses In
Partnership with Canada and the World Bank Group”
5 Africare, 2014 “https://www.africare.org/ africares-approach/womens-empowerment/”
6 AWAZ Pakistan 2014, “AWAZCDS-Pakistan’s contribution to end early age
marriages & empowering destitute women & Young people through Legal
Rights Education”
7 SWASTI 2016 “http://www.swasti.org/ global-womens-empowerment”
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