ABSTRACT
In defining empowerment in Part I of Chapter 4, the target population emphasized the fact that a woman is first and foremost a full-fledged human being. The first connotation is that a woman should be able to take control and full responsibility of her life and should not have to rely on a male/partner or member of the family. The second is the importance for her to impact the immediate environment. In general, the needs to control one’s life and to impact the environment through decision-making are presented as key elements in assessing empowerment status. For the women of the study, the major tool for empowerment seems to be the existence of an income secured through education and/or training.
