“It is not that we lack ambition, but we do not have the necessary resources to start”: Assessing the Factors that Influence Women’s Economic Empowerment in the El Paraíso Department, Honduras Open Access
Macler, Alicia (Spring 2024)
Abstract
Background
Women’s economic empowerment is an important strategy to improve the lives and health of women and girls. Previous research suggests that women’s economic empowerment can be promoted or hindered by factors that include education, land and asset ownership, financial resources, water, and gender norms. Despite a growing number of women’s economic empowerment initiatives, few qualitative studies have assessed participant’s own perceptions of the factors that influence women’s opportunity for economic empowerment. This study investigated the factors that influence women’s economic empowerment opportunities in the El Paraíso Department of Honduras.
Methods
13 qualitative key informant interviews and 12 sex-segregated focus group discussions were conducted with female and male participants (total N=105) in four rural and two semi-rural communities in El Paraíso. Key informant participants were recruited purposively with the assistance of a community volunteer. Focus group participants were recruited via door-knocking to form a convenience sample. All interviews were conducted in person in Spanish. Audio-recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim and then translated by a professional translation service. A modified grounded theory analysis was conducted. MAXQDA 2022 was used for data management and coding.
Results
Seven broad themes emerged as factors that influence women’s economic empowerment in El Paraíso, organized by regional or community and individual contexts. Poverty and gender norms comprised the regional context, while employment opportunities, physical environment, economic structures, support, and agency comprised the community and individual context. Poverty, inequitable gender norms, low decision-making power, and women’s household labor burden served as key barriers to women’s economic empowerment; training, when paired with financial support, acted as a key facilitator.
Discussion
Most influencing factors aligned with previous literature, particularly the barriers of inequitable gender norms, women’s household labor burden, and poor access to childcare. This study revealed participant’s belief in the importance of pairing financial support with training, a concept that has been less explored in previous literature. Future research and interventions could investigate the efficacy of combining these two intervention components. Findings from this study suggest that several influencing factors must exist in tandem within communities to effectively facilitate women’s economic empowerment. Further, sustainable economic empowerment for women is only possible by addressing structural changes necessary to improve equity for women in El Paraíso.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
Women’s Empowerment and Economic Empowerment
Theoretical Frameworks
Kabeer’s Three Domains of Empowerment
Hunt and Samman’s “Factors that Enable or Constrain Women’s Economic Empowerment”
Influencing Factors in Literature
Honduras Country Context, Research Gap, and Research Question
Significance
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction
Defining Empowerment and Power
Women’s Empowerment
Theory
Kabeer’s Three Domains of Empowerment
Carr’s Process of Empowerment Model
Hunt and Samman’s “Factors that Enable or Constrain Women’s Economic Empowerment” Model
Impacts of Women’s Empowerment
Women’s Economic Empowerment
Factors that Influence Women’s Economic Empowerment
Education
Access to Resources
Gender Norms
Economic Conditions and Women’s Economic Empowerment in Honduras
CHAPTER 3: METHODS
Positionality
Study Design
Sampling and Recruitment
Setting
Sampling
Recruitment
Data Collection Activities
Key Informant Interviews
Focus Group Discussions
Data Collection Procedures
Ethics and Informed Consent
Data Management
Data Analysis Methodology
CHAPTER 4: RESULTS
Study Population
Influencing Factors
Overview
Regional Context
Community and Individual Context
CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSION
Introduction
Key Results
Importance of Pairing Training with Funding
Gender Norms as a Key Barrier
Unpaid Work and Lack of Supportive Structures
Other Results
Strengths and Limitations
Implications for Public Health Research and Practice
Conclusions
References
About this Master's Thesis
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