Women respondents of this study were asked whether they have heard the term empowerment. They were then asked whether they have attended any meeting, workshop and training on women’s empowerment and rights. The purpose of asking these questions was to know their familiarity to the term empowerment. If women are not knowledgeable and familiar with the term ‘empowerment,’ it is likely that they are unaware of their empowerment and rights.
Province | District | Women have heard the term women's empowerment (%) | Women have attended training, workshop, meeting on gender/ women's empowerment/ rights (%) |
Battambang | Bovel | 28% | 27% |
Rattanak Mondul | 31% | 39% | |
Banteay Meanchey | Thmor Pourk | 65% | 23% |
Phnom Srok | 42% | 8% | |
Siem Reap | Angkor Thom | 72% | 4% |
Soutr Nikum | 72% | 18% |
Percentage of women who have heard the term ‘empowerment’ is highest in Siem Reap province followed by Banteay Meanchey and Battambang province. However, almost three quarter of women in Battambang province have never heard this term. Table above also reveals the percentage of women who have attended training, meeting, workshop on gender or women’s empowerment or women’s rights by district and province. Figures of women who have attended these events are tiny with 4% as minimum (in Angkokr Thom district of Siem Reap province) and 39% as maximum (in Rattanak Mondul district in Battambang province). Since a tiny portion of the respondents has so far attended any training, workshop, meeting on gender/women’s empowerment, it is likely that they possess shallow understanding and knowledge on the term ‘empowerment.’ How do they perceive their empowerment?
There are debates about the concepts and framework of empowerment. Different feminist scholarships focus on different aspects of live and living of women as the areas of their empowerment. Since the project aims to empower local women, the study intentionally captured views of local women about their empowerment. They were asked about what empowerment means to them. The following list reveals what empowerment refers to them.
- Right to share opinion
- Access to education
- Right and access to professional career
- Right to attend meeting and other public affairs
- Right and access to meeting and other public events
- Right and unrestricted access to justice
- Equality in gender roles
- Right to manage household
- Decision-making rights
- Right to stand in election (commune council)
- Freedom of movement
- Men share in household chores
- Free and easy access to information
- Equally benefited from development project, program or community interventions
- Dignity, respect and self-esteem
The views of local women about their empowerment are not far from what feminist scholars define. They set an array of criteria and conditions of empowerment. These broadly fall into equality in decision-making (i.e., decision-making in household and community affairs), gender roles (i.e., men’s share in household chores, women’s freedom and access to outside professional work, etc.), participation (i.e., participation in meeting and public events), access to resources and benefits (i.e., benefits of projects, programs and community intervention, access to information and education, etc.) fairness (i.e., equal treatment in justice system), self-esteem/respect, freedom of movement, political representation and participation (i.e., right to stand in commune council election) etc. Each of the conditions or criteria has its importance in relation to the forms or types of empowerment. For example, outside professional work can empower women economically with economic independence. Access to information can enable women to make informed decision. Men’s share in household chores can reduce women’s workload vis-à-vis given them more time to engage in paid work and education. Their right to stand in election can make way (through increased representation of women in decisionmaking bodies) to address needs and concerns of local women through plan, policy and programme of the respective decision-making bodies.
However, women can be empowered on different scale and extent depending on the criteria and conditions of empowerment they accomplish. The more the criteria they accomplish, the better they are empowered. Then, each of the criteria of empowerment matter the accomplishment of other factors. For example, access to education can give women way to the chance of engagement in professional career or dignity and self-respect.
Post a Comment