Home Institution
Saint Norbert College
Publication Date
Fall 2014
Abstract
This study aims to determine the motivating factors that women in Gulu District, Uganda have for joining empowerment programs, how their perception about their own empowerment has changed over time, and the role one non-‐ governmental organization (NGO) has played in assisting in these women’s empowerment. Data was gathered through 12 personal, semi-‐structured interviews with the assistance of a translator when necessary. Ten of the subjects currently participate in empowerment programs through Gulu Women’s Economic Development and Globalization (GWED-‐G), a local NGO. The two remaining subjects are staff members at GWED-‐G and served as key informants to this study. The research indicates that women have joined these groups to make social connections and to gain the knowledge provided by the programming. Their self-‐perceptions have largely changed in a positive way, however, gender based violence (GBV) still plays a role in many of the respondents’ lives. In conclusion, the data affirms the notion that rights-‐based approaches to development and empowerment are the most holistic and most effective in the endeavor for social and economic development for women.
Disciplines
Family, Life Course, and Society | Gender and Sexuality | Inequality and Stratification | Politics and Social Change | Social and Cultural Anthropology | Women's Studies
Recommended Citation
Wightman, Jessica, "Empowered for a Better Future: An Analysis of Women’s Empowerment Through Gulu Women’s Economic Development and Globalization (GWED-‐G) Organization in Gulu, Uganda" (2014). Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection. 1921.
https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/isp_collection/1921
Included in
Family, Life Course, and Society Commons, Gender and Sexuality Commons, Inequality and Stratification Commons, Politics and Social Change Commons, Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons, Women's Studies Commons
Program Name
Uganda: Post-Conflict Transformation