Resource information
Current momentum around women's economic empowerment offers huge scope for bringing about real changes in women's lives. But earning an income or having access to credit cannot be assumed to bring automatic benefits for women. We need to ask critical questions about how increased access to resources can be translated into changes in the strategic choices that women are able to make - at the level of the household and community, as well as at work. What of the terms on which women gain access to resources - are these empowering or exploitative? And what are the impacts of women's greater access to resources on gender relations and norms more broadly? The first section of this resource provides an overview which explores the dominant analysis taking hold around women's economic empowerment and highlights critical issues that remain as yet on the margins of debate and action. It seeks to promote a nuanced understanding of the gendered barriers that prevent some women from benefiting from economic opportunities or from being empowered despite access to these opportunities. It goes on to suggest a practical starting point for overcoming some of these barriers: tackling the 'double burden' of paid work and care work that is shouldered by so many women. The second section provides an annotated bibliography of useful, relevant and timely resources related to the issues covered in the overview. Summaries and publication details of each resource are included in the bibliography.
