ABSTRACT

The paper draws on the Community Capitals Framework to frame and analyze the process of rural women’s empowerment through agricultural interventions in two districts of Ethiopia. A blend of qualitative data collection methods comprising group discussions, life histories, and key informant interviews was used. Our study shows that investing in social, human, financial, cultural, natural, physical, and political capitals resulted in increased assets within those capitals and others amongst the beneficiaries. The interaction between capitals builds “power with”, “power within”, “power to” and “power over” in an upward spiral. Specifically, the interaction between social, human and financial capitals is a key entry point to rural women’s empowerment. Cultural capital intermediates the interaction and flow of capital assets during the empowerment process. We argue that empowering women requires an approach that enhances their capability to identify and systematically manage interactions among capitals that foster their voice and agency.

摘要

本文利用社区资本框架来框架和分析埃塞俄比亚两个地区通过农业干预措施增强农村妇女权能的过程。混合使用了定性数据收集方法，包括小组讨论，生活史和关键知情人访谈。我们的研究表明，对社会，人力，金融，文化，自然，物质和政治资本的投资导致这些资本以及受益人之间的资产增加。资本之间的相互作用以向上的螺旋形建立了“力量”，“内部力量”，“权力力量”和“权力之上”。具体而言，社会，人力和金融资本之间的互动是增强农村妇女权能的关键切入点。文化资本在赋权过程中中介了资本资产的相互作用和流动。我们认为，赋予妇女权力需要一种方法，以增强其识别和系统管理首都之间能够促进其声音和代理权的互动的能力。