Impact of community empowerment projects in household decision making autonomy of Estate women

Abstract

Empowerment of women is an important approach in the development discourse. Empowerment, which is greatly used in relation to women, ethnic minorities and other marginalized groups and related to provide strength and confidence. Empowerment of women refers to giving decision-making power to women in social, economic and political sphere of life. The process of empowerment should start from our own home. Women?s position in the household determines women?s autonomy in the family. This paper present finding from a study focused on Plantation Community Empowerment Project (PCEP) which has been implemented in the estate sector. Empowerment of estate women is one of wide aspects of this project. The objective of the study was to identify the impact of women?s empowerment programs to women's autonomy in house hold decision making. This research has collected both qualitative and quantitative data. A household survey together with Key Informants? Interviews (KIIs), Focused Group Discussions (FGDs), and observations have been used to collect data. The household survey sample focused on 200 estate women and their family units in two selected estates in Ambagamuwa Divisional Secretariat Division in Nuwara Eliya District. The study reveals the women?s autonomy through the decision making power on different aspects of life such as household money management on child education and daily expenditures, self-health care and freedom of movements to the market.