Social empowerment for and by Aymara women : A study of social empowerment processes in relation to local development programmes

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The vulnerable social situation of the indigenous women in Bolivia is often on the agendaof many organisations (CSOs and NGOs). Especially, the deep rooted socio-politicaldiscrimination of this group has been addressed in several researches and during variousinternational development forums. However, few of these investigations have tried tounderstand in what ways the Aymara women themselves want to be supported byorganisations in order to become socially empowered. In regard to this, the contemplationof this Master Thesis has been to, in an inductive manner, increase the understanding ofthe concept of social empowerment from the perspectives of Aymara women andNGOs/CSOs. To do so a qualitative field based study, aimed at letting Aymara womenthemselves explain the social situation, was conducted in Bolivia during the spring 2007.The outcome of this research has also served as a foundation to a discussion, with specialreferences to the Swedish aid-agency Svalorna Latinamerika, concerning what NGOs andCSOs ought to consider when working with social empowerment of Aymara women.The overarching methodological approach of the study has been that of a bottom-upimplementation analysis. In order to retrieve information from the field techniques such associo-anthropological studies, observations, interactions and interviews have been applied.Several interesting insights and conclusions have been retrieved from the investigation. Theprimarily conclusion drawn is that empowerment can neither be received nor given as it hasthe features of a learning process. Accordingly, in regard to this organisations must adoptthe role of 'supporters' rather than 'suppliers'. Secondly, it has been reasoned that anyundertaking aimed at supporting social empowerment for and of Aymara women must besynchronised with the progression of the women's learning processes. This specificallysuggests that organisations must adopt long-run as well as holistic programmes rather thanad hoc activities. The overall conclusion draw...