Conceptualising women’s empowerment in societies in Cameroon: how does money fit in?

Overview

Money is an essential element in household livelihoods, and those who control it have considerable power. However, development projects seeking to alleviate household-level poverty and promote economic growth often speak of the ’empowerment’ of women in relation to promoting women’s access to credit or income-generation. What is the relationship between empowerment and money? Access to income does not always leads to increased control of assets within the household, or to greater say in decision-making in the household or in wider society. This article examines these issues by asking how women and men in two societies in Cameroon understand the concept of women’s empowerment, in relation to income-generation and decision-making.

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