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

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Çınar S. K., Akyuz S., Ugur-Cinar M., Onculer-Yayalar E.

SOCIAL POLITICS, vol.28, no.3, pp.778-805, 2021 (SSCI) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 28 Issue: 3
  • Publication Date: 2021
  • Doi Number: 10.1093/sp/jxz032
  • Journal Name: SOCIAL POLITICS
  • Journal Indexes: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, IBZ Online, International Bibliography of Social Sciences, Periodicals Index Online, American History and Life, Educational research abstracts (ERA), Gender Studies Database, Historical Abstracts, Index Islamicus, PAIS International, Political Science Complete, Public Affairs Index, Social services abstracts, Sociological abstracts, Worldwide Political Science Abstracts
  • Page Numbers: pp.778-805
  • Middle East Technical University Affiliated: Yes

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 CD 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.