Ntankah Village Women Common Initiative Group:

A Model for Rural Women’s Empowerment

By: Sasha Hart

Research Question:Research Question: What What strategies does Ntankah employ to strategies does Ntankah employ to empower Cameroonian rural women? How does the group empower Cameroonian rural women? How does the group promote and create the conditions necessary for rural women’s promote and create the conditions necessary for rural women’s empowerment? empowerment?

Presented at the Presented at the Making Equal Rights RealMaking Equal Rights Real Conference, May 1, Conference, May 1, 2010 , McGill University2010 , McGill University

Cameroonian Rural Women:Cameroonian Rural Women: A Disadvantaged PopulationA Disadvantaged Population

Higher rural poverty rates

Women earn 50% less than males

Trapped in the informal sector of economy

Oppressive socio-cultural traditions

Lack of political representation (only 9%)

Lack of access to resources and information; Illiteracy

HIV/AIDS prevalence rates twice as high among women

Landlessness

Empowerment Conceptualized:Empowerment Conceptualized: A Literature ReviewA Literature Review

Empowerment Defined: i) A process (rather than a single intervention)ii) A goal involving an increase in agency, power, ability

A Multi-dimensional Process: Internal (ie: personal transformation/ self-esteem) & External (ie:

structural barriers) change

Strategic gender needs (ie: structural root causes of women’s subordinated status) & “Practical gender needs” (ie: basic and immediate human needs) [Moser 1989]

Stages of Empowerment Position of oppression Conscientization Political action Change

[Carr 2003]

Women’s Groups in Cameroon:Women’s Groups in Cameroon:New Empowerment Approaches NeededNew Empowerment Approaches Needed

Work of Cameroonian women’s groups often not comprehensive Work of Cameroonian women’s groups often not comprehensive enough to meet both the enough to meet both the practicalpractical and and strategic gender needsstrategic gender needs outlined by Moser [Fonjong 2001]outlined by Moser [Fonjong 2001]

While the level of poverty among women has been reduced as a While the level of poverty among women has been reduced as a result of NGO work, there has been no real change to their result of NGO work, there has been no real change to their subordinate statussubordinate status, and therefore, , and therefore, “more measures are needed “more measures are needed to tackle the to tackle the root causes root causes of gender inequalities and remove of gender inequalities and remove barriers hampering women’s involvement”barriers hampering women’s involvement” [Fonjong 2001] [Fonjong 2001]

Case Study: Is Ntankah a model?

MethodologyMethodology

Selection of case study:Selection of case study: International recognition; International recognition; participatory strategies; evidence participatory strategies; evidence of success (meeting both practical of success (meeting both practical and strategic gender needs)and strategic gender needs)

Data collectionData collection : : 48 Interviews (semi-structured 48 Interviews (semi-structured

individual & focus groups) with individual & focus groups) with group members, group group members, group leaders, project supervisors, leaders, project supervisors, local leaderslocal leaders

Program ObservationsProgram Observations

RESULTS: RESULTS: Ntankah’s Strategic Empowerment ApproachNtankah’s Strategic Empowerment Approach

Focus:Focus: “ “To improve the To improve the long-termlong-term socio-economicsocio-economic conditions of members conditions of members in particular and in particular and womenwomen in general…” in general…”

Practical Gender Needs Practical Gender Needs Strategic Gender NeedsStrategic Gender Needs Educational workshopsEducational workshops Group farming Group farming Retail products (soap-making etc)Retail products (soap-making etc) NjangisNjangis & savings & savingsFunded ProjectsFunded Projectsi) Environmental Protection (cane i) Environmental Protection (cane rat; piggery) rat; piggery) ii) Cassava and maize mills (‘Village ii) Cassava and maize mills (‘Village Pride’)Pride’)

Education/ rights sensitizationEducation/ rights sensitization Local-to-local dialoguesLocal-to-local dialogues Emotional support; peer learningEmotional support; peer learningAdvocacy initiatives (ie: WLLA, Advocacy initiatives (ie: WLLA, home-based care)home-based care) Test case litigationTest case litigation Community service: orphans/ Community service: orphans/ AIDS/ widowsAIDS/ widows Male partnershipsMale partnerships

ACTIVITIES(Targeting both practical and strategic gender needs)

RESULTS:RESULTS: Ntankah’s Strategic Empowerment ApproachNtankah’s Strategic Empowerment Approach

Activities target practical & strategic gender needs and out of these Activities target practical & strategic gender needs and out of these flow flow internalinternal & & external external transformationtransformation

Internal TransformationInternal Transformation External TransformationExternal Transformation Self-esteem fostered through: Self-esteem fostered through: participatory strategies; environment participatory strategies; environment where everybody feels valued; safe where everybody feels valued; safe space to sharespace to shareRights-Awareness (active claimingRights-Awareness (active claimingImprovement in emotional well-beingImprovement in emotional well-beingApplication of skills learned: Farming Application of skills learned: Farming improved; More self-sufficientimproved; More self-sufficientNetworking with other women’s Networking with other women’s groups (CAGWEESA) enables peer groups (CAGWEESA) enables peer learning and increased mobilitylearning and increased mobility

Self-esteem/Confidence gained to: Self-esteem/Confidence gained to: confront husbands, challenge gender confront husbands, challenge gender roles in household, take matters to roles in household, take matters to courtcourtChange in husband’s attitudesChange in husband’s attitudesFemales elected to traditional Females elected to traditional councils for 1st timecouncils for 1st timeRe-teaching of skills to community Re-teaching of skills to community membersmembers

ObstaclesObstaclesResourcesResources Lack of finances (Lack of finances (to apply skills learned/sustain certain to apply skills learned/sustain certain

activities)activities) Lack of adequate farming technology (tools, fertilizers)Lack of adequate farming technology (tools, fertilizers) Low prices received for produceLow prices received for produce

EnvironmentalEnvironmental Poverty (prevents some women from participating)Poverty (prevents some women from participating) Long distances (to farm, market, cassava mills); Bad Long distances (to farm, market, cassava mills); Bad

roadsroads Conservative forcesConservative forces

OrganizationalOrganizational More Follow-up on training neededMore Follow-up on training needed PunctualityPunctuality Some members not as committed/activeSome members not as committed/active Director plays too much of central roleDirector plays too much of central role Governing structureGoverning structure Illiteracy not being tackledIlliteracy not being tackled Corruption accusations; gossipingCorruption accusations; gossiping

Lessons LearnedLessons Learned

Empowerment ProcessEmpowerment Process Dynamic & nuanced; non-linear: Women’s empowerment is an Dynamic & nuanced; non-linear: Women’s empowerment is an

on-going process that must be achieved via multiple routes, on on-going process that must be achieved via multiple routes, on multiple different levels, and by engaging multiple different multiple different levels, and by engaging multiple different actorsactors

Importance of education (knowledge Importance of education (knowledge transference/conscientization); self-esteem; collective actiontransference/conscientization); self-esteem; collective action

Diversified range of activities needed to tackle practical/strategic Diversified range of activities needed to tackle practical/strategic gender needs and to effectuate internal/external changegender needs and to effectuate internal/external change

Possible outcomes: self-esteem, self-sufficiency, and gender Possible outcomes: self-esteem, self-sufficiency, and gender equalityequality

Lessons LearnedLessons Learned

Self-esteemSelf-esteem Pivotal to the empowerment process—as an end in itself, and also Pivotal to the empowerment process—as an end in itself, and also

a means to spur external changea means to spur external change Self-esteem building should be a specific target in empowerment Self-esteem building should be a specific target in empowerment

initiatives—Knowledge transference/conscientization/ awareness= initiatives—Knowledge transference/conscientization/ awareness= futile without self-esteemfutile without self-esteem

Self-esteem building is a slow processSelf-esteem building is a slow process

Other lessonsOther lessons Education/sensitization can increase civic participation (women Education/sensitization can increase civic participation (women

began actively claiming rights once they were sensitized about began actively claiming rights once they were sensitized about them)them)

Peer support function of community-based women’s groupsPeer support function of community-based women’s groups