How Do Cooperatives Enable Empowerment Among Rural Women? Evidence from the Municipality of Cavinti, Laguna

Authors

Maria Theresa M. Castro-Bernardo, Institute of Cooperatives and Bio-Enterprise Development (ICOPED), College of Economics and Management (CEM), University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB)Follow
Liezel S. Cruz, Institute of Cooperatives and Bio-Enterprise Development (ICOPED), College of Economics and Management (CEM), University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB)Follow

Publication Date

12-31-2022

Abstract

The persistent gender issues and their implications for sustainable development have led to several strategic yet collective schemes, such as the cooperatives, promising to contribute to (women) empowerment and social equality. Guided by Kabeer’s conceptual framework, this study analyzes the role of cooperative membership in promoting empowerment among its female coop-members in Cavinti, Laguna. Primary and secondary sources of data were used and analyzed using descriptive statistics and correlation analysis. The result indicates that cooperatives play a critical role in empowering women by providing new and/or improved knowledge and skills through capacity-building training necessary to make informed decisions, thus strengthening women’s roles in the decision-making process. Overall, this study contributes towards the development of a shared understanding of how cooperatives can be improved and utilized as an effective strategy for empowering women by taking equal importance on the needs and concerns of women in the cooperatives.

Recommended Citation

Castro-Bernardo, Maria Theresa M. and Cruz, Liezel S. (2022) "How Do Cooperatives Enable Empowerment Among Rural Women? Evidence from the Municipality of Cavinti, Laguna," Journal of Economics, Management and Agricultural Development: Vol. 8: No. 2, Article 2.
Available at: https://www.ukdr.uplb.edu.ph/jemad/vol8/iss2/2