In The Bahamas between the years 2,000 to 2007, the percentage of single mothers under the age of 20 years accounted for 11.3 – 12.7% of all births in the country. Mothers between the ages of 10 -14 years accounted for 0.1 – 0.4 % of all births and mothers age 15 -19 years accounted for 11.2 – 12.6% of all births during the same time period. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the level of empowerment among pregnant adolescents living in The Bahamas aged 18-19 years by testing the levels of autonomy, environmental mastery, personal growth, relationship with others, purpose in life and religiosity. The findings of the study may well be used to highlight areas for future research in pregnancy prevention programs for adolescents in The Bahamas. Sample: The sample for this study was 105 pregnant adolescent females 18 and 19 years of age attending ante-natal clinics in The Bahamas. Measures: The self- administered questionnaires included demographic information, obstetric history, Ryff’s Scales of Psychological Well-Being and Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith. Analyses: Data collected from the questionnaires were entered into SPSS for analysis. Descriptive statistics was obtained. Correlation analysis was performed to determine the significance among demographic data and levels autonomy, environmental mastery, personal growth, relationship with others, purpose in life and religiosity. Multiple regression analysis was performed to determine the variance explained between the number of pregnancies and level of health empowerment. Results: The Pearson’s correlation was calculated to answer the research questions of the relationship of level of autonomy, environmental mastery, personal growth, relationship with others, purpose in life, self acceptance, religiosity and overall health empowerment with number of pregnancies of 18 and 19 year old pregnant females. Number of pregnancies was negatively correlated with all dimensions of psychological well-being, religiosity and overall empowerment. Due to the small number in the sample with repeated pregnancy (19 of 105) the correlations were not statistically significant, except personal growth. Number of pregnancies was negatively correlated but not statistically significant with personal growth. Number of pregnancies was negatively correlated and statistically significant with current enrollment in school. Pregnancy outcome and delivery type were positively correlated and statistically significant with number of pregnancies. Overall health empowerment levels was negatively correlated with history of depression and positively correlated with religiosity. Level of education and religiosity were positively correlated and statistically significant to the level of health empowerment for the adolescents in this study. Conclusions: Based on the results of this study, level of education and religiosity are predictors of levels of health empowerment and type of delivery and the outcome of the pregnancy are predictors to the number of pregnancies in pregnant adolescents 18 and 19 years old in The Bahamas.

The aim of this study is to investigate the role of micro-credit in women empowerment. Microcredit is a small-scale credit which becomes effectual for the growth of micro enterprises and thus works in poverty alleviation in Pakistan. The major part of this research is to examine the impact of Khushhali Bank Limited (KBL), the largest microfinance bank with a huge network of branches all across the country, on the socio-economic characteristics of beneficiary women and to study the improvement in their economy and social status. The type of economic activities women have started and extent of poverty alleviation have also been studied. The empirical study is conducted in Pakistan. Based on qualitative research, the data is collected through in-depth interviews from borrowers and National Distribution Manager of Khushhali Bank Limited. The findings suggest that micro-credit has positive impact on women socio-economic status and empowerment. It increases to some extent self-confidence and feelings of identity for women in the society. Through interviews we came to know that microcredit has dual effect on the lives of borrowers. It not only helped women to increase their businesses, but also helped them to provide better education to their children. They feel much independence and decision making power in routine life. It has also increased their prestige and status in their family and society. Micro-credit is much helpful for the women who have their own businesses or have some ideas and expertise about the business before getting credit. The women who don’t have pre-requisite knowledge or expertise of business, they could not make any positive change in their status. Microcredit rather put an extra burden of repayment with an extensive amount of interest. They used the loan amount on personal expenses and it made difficult for them to return the loan amount. The study also entailed lack of centralized system between the microfinance institutions that increased the risk of dual loaning. This trend adversely affects the repayment capacity of borrowers and limits the positive impact of micro-credit.

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The purpose of the study is to investigate the significance of organizing social- cooperative in relation to individual empowerment; and how this empowerment can be used to better the situation of others. Young surfers is a social- cooperativ that is run by cooperators with experience of substance abuse and criminality. The social- cooperativ is built on the premise that the cooperators are to set up and run a screen-printing shop where they will print t-shirts and sweatshirts. The purpose of this business is that the cooperators are given the opportunity to work and that youths with social problems such as substance abuse and criminality are given the opportunity to work-train. My study is comprised of a series of interviews and observations that I have conducted in relation to the cooperators of Young Surfers. Social politics can be organized in numerous ways and different political goals can be reached depending on how you organize. Traditionally, public service in Sweden is organized through the treatment of clients by professionals. The relationship between the professional and the client is an un-equal relationship where the power resides solely on the professionals side. To reach goals related to user influence, participation and empowerment, there is a need for a shift in power from the professional to the users. This is facilitated by an active choice in organizing. The cooperators in Young Surfers have previously in their life's been clients within public service. Today the cooperators experince themselves as partners insted of clients. The cooperators also experience that there has been changes in their life's, changes regarding both individual development and future plans for the cooperativ. To gain power over ones situation is by the cooperators described as the opportunity to make personal choices.

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This thesis is about how the front-staff in two service companies experience empowerment. Competition for business in today's society is becoming increasingly fierce, which means that they must find a way to differentiate themselves from competitors. Service has become a way to compete. Front-staff competence and ability to offer a good service is a crucial factor when the company's success is being measured.Empowerment in business is used as a tool to create motivation and satisfaction of individuals at work. Companies using empowerment can create the freedom and opportunities for employees to act at their own intelligence and discretion. By letting staff take advantage of leadership power can improve service quality because the staff is given the freedom and opportunity to act. To achieve this, companies should look to the need to educate, develop and motivate their staff so that they feel confident in meeting service. Empowerment can exist in different degrees and in different dimensions depending on the variation and standardization of the task. A standardized company is not given as much capacity for empowerment.Empowerment has both advantages and disadvantages that may affect staff as well as company performance and wellbeing. For empowerment to exist in an adequate way, it is important to ensure that the front-staff perceive the responsibilities and power that the management gives them.With this as background, we have by means of a qualitative research methodology interviewed eight respondents in the two service companies where empowerment exists in different degrees. An intense study characterizes the paper, because the interest is to go deep in the investigation and study the individual's perception.The research question is: "How does the front staff in service-oriented companies experience empowerment?"Purpose of this essay is therefore to compare how empowerment affects frontline staff in service businesses, to see if there are similarities and differences in how front-staff perceive the empowerment, depending on the degree of standardization in the company.We have summarized our findings in three main points:  Empowerment has both positive and negative effects that can exist at the same time  The experience of empowerment is dependent on trust and security in the workplace  Empowerment should be adapted to the company

Bakgrund: Fatigue är en biverkan hos kvinnor med bröstcancer som genomgår adjuvantbehandling. Sjuksköterskan kan genom sina omvårdnadsåtgärder hjälpa dessa kvinnor atthantera och minska biverkningar av fatigue. Begreppet empowerment och Orems teori omhjälp till självhjälp kan ses som en grund för sjuksköterskan i detta omvårdnadsarbete.Syfte: Att beskriva hur kvinnor med bröstcancer, under adjuvant behandling, kan hantera ochminska symptomet fatigue med hjälp av sjuksköterskans omvårdnadsinsatser, grundat i begreppet empowerment och hjälp till självhjälp.Metod: Litteraturbaserad studie med grund i tolv kvalitativa och kvantitativa artiklar.Resultat: Förekomsten av fatigue finns kvar men olika metoder kan ge minskade nivåer.Motion och rörelse kan lindra graden av fatigue. Muskelavslappningsövningar gav minskadenivåer och minskad upplevelse av fatigue. En balanserad sömn och minskad stress gavpositiva effekter på upplevd fatigue.Slutsats: Det finns olika omvårdnadsinsatser sjuksköterskan kan genomföra, dels själv menockså tillsammans med andra professioner. Tillsammans med patienten kan sjuksköterskankartlägga graden av fatigue och skräddarsy en individuell omvårdnadsplan. Motionsprogramoch gruppinterventioner med empowerment som grund kan stärka och hjälpa dessa kvinnorhantera fatigue. / Background: Fatigue is a side effect for women with breast cancer undergoing adjuvant therapy. The nurse can through nursing interventions help these women to manage and reduce side effects of fatigue. The concept of empowerment and the Orem theory of self-help can beviewed as a basis for the nurse in nursing. Purpose: To describe how women with breast cancer during adjuvant treatment, manage and reduce symptom of fatigue with the help of nursing care interventions, founded in the concept of empowerment and self-help. Method: Literature-based study based on twelve qualitative and quantitative articles. Results: The incidence of fatigue remains, but different methods can reduce levels. Exercise and movement can alleviate the degree of fatigue. Musclerelaxation exercises resulted in decreased levels and decreased perception of fatigue. A balanced sleep and reduced stress resulted in positive effects on perceived fatigue. Conclusion: There are several of nursing interventions that are possible to implement both for nurses alone and also with other professions. Together can nurses and their patients determine the degree of fatigue and tailor an individual care plan. Exercise program and group interventions with empowerment as a basis can be used to strengthen and help these women manage fatigue.