Speaking Up: Contextualizing Women's Voices and Gatekeepers' Reactions in Promoting Women's Empowerment in Rural India

Abstract

This article deepens the understanding of the impact empowerment programs have for women on their social environment, and more specifically on the men in the community, who may or may not be supportive of such endeavors. Gathering evidence from one case in rural India, it addresses how powerholders and gatekeepers reacted to the increased use of women's voices as they interacted as members of a group, within the broader community, and as the women recognized their own increase in value to the community.