Women's Empowerment and the Feminization of Poverty among

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progress in women’s empowerment….as long-lasting codes of conduct, norms, traditions andinformal family laws do not change much over time” (Drechsler and Jütting, 2010: 78). Therelevant family code subcategory supports SIGI analysis to show that prevailing norms can be adriving force of gender inequality, but better measures are needed to effectively address barriers towomen’s empowerment (Ibid.: 81).With this in mind, my case study prescribes tools of a Participatory Poverty Assessment(PPA) – often described as a ‘social inclusion approach’ – to “explore the causes and outcomes ofpoverty in more context-specific ways, taking into account subjective views on poverty” at ahousehold level (Chant, 2007: 61; WB, 2000). As Chant has outlined in her GAD researchworldwide, dedicated efforts are required to engage in the popularized language of women’sempowerment and the feminization of poverty. My contextual analysis of Morocco and case studyof female-headed households in Taroudannt attempts to “triangulate quantitative data on capabilitieswith the findings of PPAs and with qualitative gender analyses which focus on gendered relationsand processes as well as outcomes” (Ibid.: 66). I employ the Participatory Learning and Action(PLA) approach to work against extractive research and practice by incorporating diagramming,interviews and observations (McIlwaine and Ferreri, 2011: 4). Conducting participatory researchrequires an anthropological understanding that the researcher is “historically situated” throughquestions and manner of understanding as well as that the information received is an interpretation“equally mediated by history and culture” (Rabinow, 1977: 119). To understand the locally acceptedvalues of ‘being and doing,’ my position with the UK-based charity Moroccan Children’s Trust(MCT) facilitated my exploration. I have volunteered with this non-profit since the launch ofMCT’s Street Children Project (SCP) in Taroudannt in October 2010 and continue to work part-timeas the UK SCP Coordinator.Engagement with Core Characteristics of Participatory Research 3policy focusbottom-up perspectiveresearch by local peoplelocal knowledgequalitativeperceptionsfocus groupsanalysis includes Moroccan state policyconducted through a grassroots organizationlocal social worker engaged with local womenused own first-hand experience & local contactsinterviews focused on gathering qualitative datarecognized and addressed perceptions/assumptionsincorporated focus groups on specific areas3Ideas from McIlwaine and Ferreri (2011: 2)13
Phase IOf the four phases of my primary research to complement my secondary research, the firstbegan in February 2012 to plan how best to use a participatory approach in a holistic manner toreveal gendered subjectivities. As a project strand of the SCP, the women’s group of mothers ofparticipating families approached the end of its pilot begun in September 2011 as a monthlyinformational meeting group. I gathered perspectives and ideas on its progress from the group’sfounder and former facilitator, the former organizer, the current facilitator, and current researchassistant. I worked in partnership with the London-based Women’s Project Coordinator 4 to organizea baseline quantitative survey of the ten remaining group members in March, focusing ondemographic information, parenting attitudes and health-seeking behavior. The founder and formerorganizer then conducted structured individual interviews, and the founder also gatheredinformation from those women who had left the group to provide a minimum demographicbaseline.Phase IIThe second phase involved a two-week working visit in Taroudannt in April-May tocollaborate with Moroccan team members and begin implementing the agreed feasible datagatheringprocess. We met formally and informally each day to understand what we currently knewfrom the women’s group members, the observed changes since September and what we hoped togain from the research. This collaborative process revealed that the social work team was highlysusceptible to making assumptions about the women’s behavior due to their incredibly closerelationships with the women and their families. We agreed to carry out biographical in-depthinterviews to create a life narrative of each woman to better understand the manifestations ofRowlands’ dimensions of ‘personal’ and ‘close relationships’ through the women’s roles as heads oftheir households, access to education, views of employment, social networks, self-confidence, andability to access public services. We also agreed that the Moroccan team would conduct theinterviews as the women speak Moroccan Arabic and we did not want to compromise relationships.We also planned the facilitation of weekly group meetings in a participatory approachmodelled after the Gender Action Learning System (GALS): “The methodology is based on andcontinually reinforces underlying principles of equity, inclusion and gender justice and women’shuman rights as stated in international agreements like the Convention for Elimination ofDiscrimination Against Women (CEDAW)” (Mayoux, 2010: 84). As we wanted to integrate a moreempowering methodology to understand the manifestation of Rowlands’ ‘collective’ dimension, we4Ph.D. in Anthropology14
Page 4 and 5: I. INTRODUCTIONAttitudes about gend
Page 6: II. ANALYSIS OF EXISTING LITERATURE
Page 9 and 10: In recognition of the importance of
Page 11 and 12: women’s empowerment, the feminiza
Page 13 and 14: “Although women are often victims
Page 15: III. METHODOLOGYThis chapter begins
Page 19 and 20: acutely aware of the limitations of
Page 21 and 22: Despite the very recent historical
Page 23 and 24: (Ibid.: 716). In sum, de jure Mouda
Page 25 and 26: change which requires a period of a
Page 27 and 28: Cultural situationAnalyzing Morocca
Page 29 and 30: defiance of tradition, and society
Page 31 and 32: there is faith in the city’s life
Page 33 and 34: originally from Agadir, Ouled Berhi
Page 35 and 36: Dwyer’s observation that “a str
Page 37 and 38: Social networksSocial networks can
Page 39 and 40: dimension. When asked to identify h
Page 41 and 42: VI. CONCLUSIONThe participatory res
Page 43: BIBLIOGRAPHYAbiad, N. (2008) Sharia
Page 46 and 47: McIlwaine, C. (2012c) “Women’s
Page 48 and 49: InterviewsEch Chenna, Aicha, Presid
Page 50: Appendix B - Focus groupAimTo find

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