Faces and Phases of Women’s Empowerment: The Case of Women’s Cooperatives in Turkey

Abstract

This article provides an in-depth look at women’s empowerment through women’s cooperatives. Drawing on evidence from a diverse set of women’s cooperatives in Turkey, the article investigates the prospects and constraints of women’s empowerment in contexts lacking an enabling macro-institutional framework and societal structure. Listening to the real-life stories of women from different socioeconomic and political backgrounds, we explore how and to what extent members experience empowerment in their lives after joining the cooperatives. We find that, even under political and societal constraints, women experience economic, psychological, social, and organizational empowerment, though the extent of such empowerment varies across cases.

Healthcare Access Worsened for Women in Precarious Housing During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study

“…Economically empowered women are better able to make their health-related decisions and have better healthcare access 47 - 49 ,and women who take part in women’s cooperatives, which is a similar form of empowerment suggested by this study’s participants, feel economically, psychologically, and socially more empowered, even facing political and societal challenges. 50 …”

The political economy of women's cooperatives in Turkey: A social reproduction perspective

“…Existing research specifically underlines financial and social challenges in these cooperatives. Yet, scholarly works also highlight the “important impact of women's cooperatives on individuals, households, and communities around Turkey” (Cinar et al., 2021; Duguid et al., 2015; p. 17).…”

“…Goldman & Little, 2015; Janssens, 2009; Kabeer, 1999; Moghadam, 1996) and the role of women's cooperatives in women's empowerment (cf. Cinar et al., 2021; Datta & Gailey, 2012; Ferguson & Kepe, 2011; Jones et al., 2012; Koutsou et al., 2009; Majee & Hoyt, 2011; Oberhauser & Pratt, 2004). However, once we started interviewing women, we realized that the stories women told us were mostly focused on the challenges they faced in keeping their cooperatives running and in being able to meaningfully participate in the activities of the cooperatives.…”

“…The perspective provided by social reproduction feminism provides us with an excellent point of entry into the study of women's cooperatives. While existing studies on women's cooperatives underline many gains for cooperative members, such as increased access to and control over economic resources; psycho‐social enhancements such as higher self‐confidence; enhanced vision of the future; improved status in social circles; as well as betterment in organizational capabilities and skills (Bacon, 2010; Cinar et al., 2021; Datta & Gailey, 2012; Deji, 2005; Dohmwirth & Liu, 2020; Eccarius‐Kelly, 2006; Ferguson & Kepe, 2011; Jones et al., 2012; Onyejekwe, 2001; Peterson, 2014; Özdemir, 2013), they initiate the relationship between cooperatives and empowerment from the “women at the gates of her cooperative” to follow Bhattacharya's succinct formulation. However, we believe that it is vital to understand the preceding factors that determine the chances of women's long‐term participation in the cooperatives to begin with.…”

“…1 1 Women's empowerment is understood as the process through which women acquire the ability to make strategic and effective life choices and come to use this ability effectively for positive change (Moghadam, 1996, p. 13; Janssens, 2009, p. 975; Kabeer, 1999, p. 435; Goldman & Little, 2015, p. 763; Cinar et al., 2021, p. 780). …”