Patriarchy: An obstacle to women empowerment?

By Matshidiso Motsoeneng and Brian Mathebula

The CGAP-Ford Foundation Graduation pilot programs around the world have been credited for reaching the most vulnerable groups (ultra-poor) living in the bottom 15% of the economy. In fact, what we know internationally is that poverty is more prevalent amongst women, whom in most instances development interventions do not always reach. The May 2014 ‘International Conference on Graduation and Social Protection’ hosted by the Centre for Social Protection (CSP) in Kigali, Rwanda, where SPII participated in also highlighted on gender based poverty issues. Reflections from conference participants was that women’s empowerment may perhaps be more than a stone’s throw away, and that societal transformation is an imperative in addressing economic vulnerability amongst women.
This article serves to provide three case studies of the experiences of three women in SPII’s ‘Social Protection and Local Economic Development (LED): Graduation Pilot Project’ from fieldworkers (enterprise coaches).

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