The Role of Adult Education in Women’s Empowerment and Sustainable Development

Abstract

The study explored how adult education empowers women by enhancing access to and control over resources: land, finance, and housing. A qualitative case study, using semi-structured interviews and a focus group with women, facilitators, and experts, reveals that while adult education enhances women’s capabilities and fosters collective organisation, it fails to dismantle entrenched patriarchal barriers limiting their decision-making power over resources. The study also found that access to land creates a double burden and health risks due to insufficient technological support, while tenure insecurity undermines investment. It highlights that financial inclusion is typically restricted to informal savings groups, leaving formal institutions inaccessible. Findings show that housing is hindered by bureaucratic obstacles and certification gaps, causing legal insecurity. The study argues that although adult education provides critical knowledge and skills to access resources, women’s autonomy and decision-making remain uneven and constrained by deep-rooted structural and sociocultural norms, leading to cycles of precarious empowerment. Genuine empowerment and sustainable development require integrated policies that combine educational capacity-building with legal reform, expanded institutional access, and the transformation of patriarchal social structures.