Stories of empowerment

We know that it is people’s own decisions and actions that bring about sustainable improvements in their lives and livelihoods. Inequitable power relations exclude poor people from decision-making and prevent them from taking action. Empowerment of those living in poverty is a critical driver of poverty reduction.
Despite this, there is still a huge gap between the theory of empowerment and its practice. To help bridge this gap and provide guidance, these stories describe real-life empowerment in the words of those involved and draw upon the practical experience of donors working in different areas of empowerment, which is making a positive difference in poor people’s livelihoods.

» Bangladesh: Sharique – a story of empowerment and engagement in local governance  » Mali: Empowerment through support to apex organisations in the informal sector   » Colombia: People in San Basilio de Palenque take the knowledge-sharing route out of poverty  » Nepal: Nepal’s indigenous community demands to be informed and heard   » Ethiopia: Women with disabilities harness the power of entrepreneurship  » Nepal: Breaking barriers – empowering women through participatory learning   » India: SEWA joins forces with the ILO to help informal sector workers move out of poverty  » Peru: Fostering "empoderamiento" in the Peruvian Sierra – the Puno-Cusco Corredor Project  » Kenya: Kazi Kwa Vijana – youth empowerment  » Sierra Leone: Empowering women through microcredit  »  Madagascar: Outcome mapping and empowerment – the experience of SAHA  » South Africa: Violence prevention and empowerment in the township of Khayelitsha  » Mali: The story of Faso Jigi, a cereal farmers' collective   » Tanzania: Empowerment of pastoral communities in Ngorongoro