Community Development through the Empowerment of Indigenous Women in Cuetzalan Del Progreso, Mexico

Pamela Durán-Díaz, Adriana Armenta-Ramírez, Anne Kristiina Kurjenoja and Melissa Schumacher
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Pamela Durán-Díaz: Chair of Land Management, Technische Universität München, 80333 Munich, Germany
Adriana Armenta-Ramírez: Department of Architecture, Universidad de las Américas Puebla, 72819 Cholula, Mexico
Anne Kristiina Kurjenoja: Department of Architecture, Universidad de las Américas Puebla, 72819 Cholula, Mexico
Melissa Schumacher: Department of Architecture, Universidad de las Américas Puebla, 72819 Cholula, Mexico

Land, 2020, vol. 9, issue 5, 1-25

Abstract: Women are an underappreciated economic force who, when empowered by association with a female organization, can be a catalyst for development. To assess the status of Indigenous rural women, as well as the mechanisms and impacts of their empowerment, this paper presents a case study of a community development approach based on the Masehual Siuamej Mosenyolchicacauani organization in Cuetzalan del Progreso, Puebla. The methodology used is a mixed-methods approach involving a literature review of two regional instruments: The Federal Program “Pueblos Mágicos” and the Land and Environmental Management Program “POET” for Cuetzalan. It also includes geo-data collection from public sources, empirical data collection from open-ended interviews, and focus group discussions with key informants from the Indigenous organization. The research found that, despite an inclusive legal and institutional framework, weak policy implementation and certain federal programs tend to segregate Indigenous communities. Mechanisms such as cultural tourism and inclusive land management programs, capacity building initiatives, and female associations have proven useful for empowering women and have had positive socioeconomic impacts on the community. The research concluded that female Indigenous associations are a tool to empower rural women, grant them tenure security, strengthen their engagement in decision making, and consolidate them as key stakeholders in community development.

Keywords: community development; Indigenous women organization; empowerment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jlands:v:9:y:2020:i:5:p:163-:d:360808

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