Women’s empowerment and micro-entrepreneurship in India: Constructing a new development paradigm?

Maria Costanza Torri and Andrea Martinez
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Maria Costanza Torri: Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, University of New Brunswick, Canada
Andrea Martinez: Full Professor, Faculty of Social Sciences, Institute of Women’s Studies, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Progress in Development Studies, 2014, vol. 14, issue 1, 31-48

Abstract: While the contribution of women to the economies of developing countries is critical, women rarely find employment in the regulated unionized sectors of these countries, and are found instead in overwhelming numbers in the sector that is variously termed ‘unorganized’, ‘unprotected’, ‘unregistered’ or ‘informal’. Although producers’ groups and collectives have been considered a way forward in promoting gender empowerment in the informal sector, the process to organize and develop these grass-root initiatives are challenging in a variety of ways, some of the impediments arising from women’s lack of bargaining power with outsiders and lack of internal inclusiveness of its own members. The purpose of this article is to advance discussion on women’s narratives of empowerment by exploring the case of Gram Mooligai Company Limited (GMCL). GMCL is the first female community enterprise in India active in the herbal sector, entirely formed and managed by untouchables . The findings show that GMCL enhances women’s productive capabilities, leadership skills and to some extent social learning abilities, but falls short to confronting marginalization resulting from issues of caste embedded in established patriarchal norms and practices. This case study points to the significance to adopt a more holistic approach, which conceives empowerment as a dynamic, socio-culturally constructed process.

Keywords: development; power relations; rural micro-entrepreneurship; empowerment narratives; India (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:prodev:v:14:y:2014:i:1:p:31-48

DOI: 10.1177/1464993413504347

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