Discovering the power within: Nepali women's experiences on empowerment through women's groups and microcredit programs
Author
Lehto, Anni Marjatta
Term
4. term
Publication year
2016
Abstract
Denne afhandling undersøger nepalesiske kvinders erfaringer med empowerment gennem deltagelse i kvindegrupper og mikrokreditprogrammer. Med afsæt i feministisk standpoint-teori samt perspektiver på empowerment, intersektionalitet og kollektiv handling anvender studiet kvalitative metoder, primært semistrukturerede interviews analyseret gennem empirisk og hermeneutisk fænomenologi, induktive tilgange og indholdsanalyse, for at forstå, hvordan disse initiativer virker i Nepals patriarkalske kontekst. Resultaterne peger på, at medlemskab og adgang til mikrokredit kan gavne kvinder på individuelt, familie-, fællesskabs- og samfundsniveau, herunder økonomiske forbedringer, øget viden og uddannelse, kompetenceudvikling, større selvtillid og selvstændighed, øget mobilitet samt netværk og gensidig støtte. På familie- og fællesskabsniveau rapporteredes der om mere respekt, stærkere beslutningskraft, udvikling af lokalsamfund og udfordring af traditionelle kønsroller; på samfundsniveau blev ændrede holdninger til kvinder og kønsnormer fremhævet. Studiet identificerer også uens adgang og udbytte på grund af diskriminerende medlems- og udlånsbetingelser, hvilket understreger behovet for mere inkluderende praksis. Organiske grupper startet af kvinder selv synes særligt lydhøre over for medlemmers behov, og inddragelse af mænd og drenge vurderes vigtig for at opnå bredere, strukturelle ændringer i ligestilling. Overordnet set er kvindegrupper og mikrokredit vigtige redskaber til empowerment, men varig transformation kræver, at kønshierarkier udfordres på samfundsniveau.
This thesis examines Nepali women’s experiences of empowerment through participation in women’s groups and microcredit programs. Grounded in feminist standpoint theory and perspectives on empowerment, intersectionality, and collective action, the study uses qualitative methods—primarily semi-structured interviews analyzed through empirical and hermeneutic phenomenology, inductive approaches, and content analysis—to understand how these initiatives operate within Nepal’s patriarchal context. Findings indicate that membership and access to microcredit can benefit women at individual, family, community, and societal levels, including economic gains, increased awareness and education, skills development, greater confidence and independence, enhanced mobility, and peer support and networking. At family and community levels, respondents reported more respect, stronger decision-making power, community development, and challenges to traditional gender roles; at the societal level, shifts in attitudes toward women and gender norms were noted. The research also identifies uneven access and outcomes due to discriminatory membership and lending conditions, emphasizing the need for more inclusive practices. Groups formed organically by women appeared particularly responsive to members’ needs, and engaging men and boys was seen as important for achieving broader, structural changes in gender equality. Overall, while women’s groups and microcredit are valuable tools for empowerment, sustained transformation requires confronting gender hierarchies in society.
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