Enablers and barriers to women’s empowerment through self-help groups

INTRODUCTION: Women's empowerment is one of the priority areas in line with sustainable development goals and is thus becoming ubiquitous in every development agenda across nations. This study explores the enablers and barriers of women’s empowerment in self-help groups (SHGs), focusing on the women-led community-based social enterprises (CBSEs) in the Southern Philippines. METHODS: Data were collected from 66 women members of seven purposefully selected SHGs using a qualitative approach. We conducted seven focus group discussions with 8–15 participants each. We used a general inductive approach for the thematic analysis to identify the key themes. FINDINGS: The study reveals that multiple interrelated factors, such as personal motivation, group incentive properties, supportive intra-familial processes, solidarity among women, and community support and recognition, enable women's empowerment. Furthermore, factors such as low family economic status, women’s responsibility for domestic and family welfare, competing multiple social obligations and expectations, geographical disparities, and tokenism of support services have emerged as barriers to women’s empowerment. CONCLUSION: This study’s findings suggest that the enabling factors have played a critical role in promoting women’s empowerment in SHGs, as evidenced by their improved access to resources, decision-making, and sense of achievement. These factors bring individual and collective outcomes contributing to women’s empowerment experiences. However, emerging barriers that disempower women are structurally rooted in deep-seated gender norms. Women’s empowerment through SHGs is insufficient, thus calling for sustained efforts at multiple levels of society.