In the UNDP Report of 2008, promotion of gender equality and women empowerment,
Millennium Development Goal (MDG3), has been declared not only as the main developmental
objective but also a fundamental mode of attaining the entire MDGs. This study examines
women’s experiences of economic empowerment projects in the era of escalating female
household heading and relentless poverty in Lesotho. It particularly focuses on women
participating in crafts projects initiated for income generation, in the context of gendered spaces.
A growing body of literature asserts that Women Economic Empowerment (WEE) is a potential
route out of abject poverty, especially for the economically marginalised women in Female-
Headed Households (FHH).
A case study focusing on women participants in Teya-teyaneng crafts of Berea district in
Lesotho was carried out. Semi-structured interviews were employed to explore the potential of
participation to yield positively for empowerment in the scenario of informal economy. Findings
from the two units within the single case utilised revealed that empowerment remains to be one
of the entangled processes of economic development. It is highly subjected to social, political
and economic procedures operating in a country. The study further revealed that economic
empowerment of women participating in income generating projects is considerably constrained
by the patriarchal and globalised economic set ups that women operate within. The case of
Elelloang Basali illuminated that adherence to contemporary strategies of economic
empowerment is a beneficial ingredient, contrary to the operations of Setsoto Design.
Recommendations ultimately forwarded highlight the significance of macro-economic policy to
pay attention to the assertion that WEE is not merely a path out of poverty but an intrinsic entity
of employment-led-growth. This also hints on policy for broad-based growth that can be
countercyclical for the economy of the country. The paper serves to articulate a dire need for
shift from reluctance to responsiveness for those with political and economic will power. / Thesis (M.Dev.Studies)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:ukzn/oai:http://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za:10413/9953 |
| Date | January 2012 |
| Creators | Makoko, Reboetsoe Rosemary. |
| Contributors | Robbins, Glen. |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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