Are women Empowered through ecotourism projects? A quantitative approach “Ecotourism and women empowerment”
Fikile Xaba, Eyitayo Francis Adanlawo
Women's empowerment in ecotourism services has gained considerable attention globally. With its primary focus on the integration of environmental conservation and socio-economic development initiatives, Ecotourism represents a viable option to address gender inequality, poverty, and unemployment among women in rural areas. While there have been several empirical attempts to explain the role of ecotourism in sustainable development, very little has been documented about the benefits of ecotourism services for women. A quantitative approach in the form of a questionnaire was used to collect data from 204 participants in the four local municipalities of Hlabisa, Jozini, Mtubatuba, and Umhlabuyalingana. A descriptive statistical analysis technique was applied to interpret the results. The study revealed that ecotourism has the potential to create meaningful employment and business opportunities for women, especially if gender mainstreaming activities are incorporated into ecotourism services. As a consequence, the study recommended that women empowerment efforts be integrated with mainstream tourism services to ensure congruence in both provision and outcomes.
Keywords: Women’s empowerment, Ecotourism, Employment, Capacity building, Business information, Rural community
