Economic Empowerment for All: an Examination of Women's
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Empowerment for all: an examination of women’s experiences and perceptions of economic empowerment in Maha Sarakham, Thailand A thesis submitted to the Graduate School Of the University of Cincinnati In partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Master of Community Planning In the School of Planning In the College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning by Amber David B.A. The College of New Jersey March 2017 Committee Chair: David Edelman, Ph.D. Committee Member: Carolette Norwood, Ph.D. Abstract The year of 2015 was the culmination of the Millennium Development Goals, and the launch of the Sustainable Development Goals. Both the MDGs and SDGs recognize gender equality as a basic human right that, when coupled with women's empowerment, provides a vehicle for poverty eradication and economic development. This renewed global agenda sets the stage for the focus of this research: the investigation of the lived experience of women in northeastern Thailand as a window into their sense of economic empowerment. Via snowball sourcing, fifteen women in Maha Sarakham, Thailand were selected to participate in the study. Through in-depth interviews the researcher discovered that the Isan women of Maha Sarakham have used soft power to empower themselves in the short term and are leveraging higher education to create opportunities for the generations of women empowerment they are raising and influencing. II This Page Intentionally Left Blank. III Acknowledgements I would like to express my gratitude to my thesis Chair, Dr. David Edelman of the DAAP School of Planning and my co-Chair, Dr. Carolette Norwood of Women and Gender Studies who have listened and offered guidance as I’ve unraveled, reconstructed, and deciphered all of the stories that I gathered. Khob khun ka to the MSU faculty, Ajarn Rutnoo Stu Duo and Aey, who helped me to find participants, provided cultural insights during my interviews and taught me Isan phrases that helped me to feel less like a farang and more like a member of the community. Thank you to Ajarn Anyarat Nattheeraphong who became a dear friend and introduced me to my amazing student translators: Mr. Thebporn Kanchai and Ms. Ke Jiratthi. I have the upmost respect and appreciation for the each of the women who shared their experiences and candid opinions with me. I will continue to revisit the recordings of your stories as a source of inspiration. To my travel partner, Jalisa Harris: I’m forever grateful that I explored my first country in Southeast Asia with you and for the lifelong friendship that we have forged as a result. Finally, thank you to my husband, Jeremy David. You have encouraged and supported me throughout this process -- from daring to travel to Thailand as your first trip outside of the US to transforming the dining room table into a co-working space for thesis writing and lesson planning. Thank you. IV Table of Contents Abstract ................................................................................................................................ ii Acknowledgements .............................................................................................................. iv List of tables and figures ...................................................................................................... vii Chapter 1 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Global context: Millennium and Sustainable Development Goals ..............................................1 1.2 Scope of Research ....................................................................................................................3 1.3 Research questions...................................................................................................................6 Chapter 2 Literature Review .................................................................................................. 7 2.1 Introduction to the literature review.........................................................................................7 2.2 Conceptualization of empowerment .........................................................................................7 2.3 Economic empowerment definition for this study .....................................................................8 2.4 Perceptions of power in Thailand ..............................................................................................9 2.5 Economic and labor structure of Thailand ............................................................................... 10 2.6 The role of the Northeastern Thai woman ............................................................................... 12 2.7 Policies and programs related to economic empowerment for Thai women ............................. 13 Chapter 3 Methodology ....................................................................................................... 15 3.1 Approach ...............................................................................................................................15 3.2 Sampling ................................................................................................................................15 3.3 Instrument ............................................................................................................................. 18 3.4 Cultural considerations and adaptations ................................................................................. 19 Chapter 4 Findings ............................................................................................................... 21 4.1 Women leading from behind .................................................................................................. 21 4.2 Differences in perceptions of power and gender-based duties are not clearly defined along demographic markers (e.g. income level, age, etc.) ....................................................................... 22 4.2.1 Selected opinions of 50-year-old non-profit manager, resident of Ban Pla Boo ...................... 22 4.2.2 Selected opinions of 64-year-old retired teacher, resident of Maha Sarakham City ............... 23 4.2.3 Selected opinions of 32-year-old small business owner, resident of Maha Sarakham City ..... 24 4.3 Increased sense of empowerment as women progress in age .................................................. 25 4.3.1 Professional ............................................................................................................................... 25 4.3.2 Ownership ................................................................................................................................. 26 4.4 Importance of local wisdom in providing economic opportunities for women .......................... 26 4.5 Inherent ability to cope with risks ........................................................................................... 29 4.6 Education as a disruptor and enforcer of Isan traditions .......................................................... 29 4.7 Involvement in social networks is a function of free time and income ...................................... 31 Chapter 5 Discussion ........................................................................................................... 33 Chapter 6 Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 36 Post Script ........................................................................................................................... 38 Bibliography ........................................................................................................................ 39 Appendix A .......................................................................................................................... 42 V Appendix B .......................................................................................................................... 47 VI List of tables and figures Table 1: Millennial Development Goal 5 ....................................................................................... 2 Table 2: Participant Demographics ............................................................................................... 16 Table 3: Categories for Interview Guide based on the ICRW framework and FAO queries ....... 19 Figure 1: Regional areas on the continent of Asia .......................................................................... 3 Figure 2: Gross Provincial Product of Thailand (2013) .................................................................. 5 VII Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 Global context: Millennium and Sustainable Development Goals The year of 2015 was one of both culmination and new beginning for global development. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a set of targets developed in 2000 by the United Nations, aimed to eliminate extreme poverty around the globe within 15 years. Upon its expiration, the MDGs boasted achievements such as a decrease of 45% in the maternal mortality rate and a 50% reduction of the proportion of individuals deprived of access to clean water (The Millennium Development Goals Report, 2015). With a fulfillment deadline of 2030, the 2015 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) continue and expand upon the work begun in the MDGs. There are 17 goals and 169 indicators through which nations that have subscribed to the mission hope to “end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all (Sustainable