Female Empowerment: Exploring the Influence of Living and Working in Informal Settlements

Poverty and insecurity disproportionately affects poor, urban women in Global South cities which negatively contributes to their status and sense of empowerment. Female empowerment is important because when a woman feels empowered, she is better able to positively contribute to society. It is therefore important to explore the relation of both living and working in a slum and whether this positively contributes to a woman’s increased sense of empowerment and ultimately the gender dynamics within the community. The study aim of this project and case study is to better understand how both living and working in an informal settlement setting impacts a woman’s sense of empowerment in the West Bengal state of India. To understand this, I want to compare types of employment, levels of status within a job, and social life with a woman’s sense of empowerment. More specifically, the following research questions must be answered: Does living living in a slum and working in the informal economy positively affect one’s life? What cultural norms are in place that shape a woman’s life and ability to work? TO BE CONT’D

Faculty Supervisor:

Bruce Frayne

Student:

Partner:

Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Education

University:

University of Waterloo

Program: