The Narrative of Women's Empowerment - A narrative analysis of the global versusthe local narrative of Women’s Empowerment
Abstract: Empowerment, and particularly women’s empowerment, has become a catchphrase in the development industry over the past decades. The concept of women’s empowerment was developed by critical feminists largely originated in the West, which has raised several questions about how women’s empowerment translates across different cultures and contexts. This study intends to contribute cumulatively to the understanding of women’s empowerment and how the global narrative interplays with the local narrative of women’s empowerment in Myanmar. The aim of this paper is to examine what narratives are prevailing in the report written about women’s equality by Karen Women’s Organization and what possibilities and limitations using different narratives can bring. The empirical findings indicate that global narrative points can be distinguished in the report which may be understood as a strategy towards being a part of the universal human rights community. The findings also suggest a different understanding of the concept of women’s empowerment opposed to the concept developed by feminists in the West. The notion of ‘vernacularization’ is discussed in relation to how Karen Women’s Organization adapts the global narrative to the local context in order to make sense in specific circumstances in Myanmar.
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