Narrations of Hope

Philosophies on Women Economic Empowerment in the Testimonies and Oral Performances by Rural Women

Abstract

In theory, reference to ‘women economic empowerment’ appears high sounding and often conversation on this subject is sometimes, perhaps, inadvertently preclusive of those considered in society as the ordinary women. These are the women in the rural villages and the underprivileged sections of the sub-urban and urban centres, the majority of whom have to deal with poverty – sometimes extreme – and a lack of education to facilitate an enlightened view of life. Indeed, one wonders whether the women themselves envision economic empowerment, but in their own way, they in fact, do. They, too, philosophize on the prospects of economic empowerment. It may not be that sophisticated. Yet a closer look will reveal how this apparently “simplistic” view sometimes resonates with the larger women’s world. There is perhaps no better way of capturing these ordinary women’s philosophies on economic empowerment than listening to their narratives and participating in their oral performances, even without the prescience of any specific expectations. This paper is an interrogation of what and how the women’s perspectives on economic empowerment sieve through their narratives and oral performances. It is the outcome of my interaction with women in the villages of Bukhayo, a location in Busia County of Western Kenya.