Organizing and empowering artisan women: twenty-year state of the art

Empowerment and organization

The concept of empowerment has evolved over the decades. In its beginnings, during the feminist movement of the 60s, it focused on challenging traditional gender norms to achieve equal rights and opportunities (Álvarez, 2003). The pioneering findings by Rowlands (1997) promoted growing academic attention to this process, highlighting three main dimensions: personal, close relationships and collective.

Over time, the concept has transcended from a limited, politicized vision to a broader one. From the perspective of feminism and gender studies, authors such as Batliwala (1995); Mosser (1989) agree that empowerment involves strengthening self-confidence, independence and the ability to make decisions and control resources. This approach underscores the importance of autonomy and capacity building in various spheres of women’s lives.

Research, such as that by Román-Calderón et al. (2016), warns that the term has been misused and instrumentalized, particularly by international organizations that have adapted it to political and economic interests, distorting its original meaning and in some cases, perpetuating inequalities. Therefore, it is essential to recover a comprehensive vision that considers the factors that drive or inhibit the development of and for women, their real needs, and their impact on different dimensions of their lives.

For its part, the organization has been defined from various perspectives. Weber (2002) describes it as a formal structure with predefined rules and roles to achieve specific objectives, allowing activities to be coordinated and directed towards common goals. Taboada (2023) emphasizes that cooperation and effective communication among its members are key elements for organizational success. Encalada and Atoche (2017) conceptualize it as a pattern of formal relationships and roles oriented to the fulfillment of common objectives.

In the rural artisanal sector, organizations are constituted as spaces where women converge for economic and productive purposes. They represent spaces for questioning and reflection on the conditions and positions they occupy in the public and private spheres. Women’s participation in organizations impacts their living conditions, access to markets and knowledge, and their social and economic status.

Empowerment in the personal dimension

For Rowlands (1995), this dimension is an individual process in which women develop confidence and self-sense, acquiring control over their lives. Batliwala (1997) indicated that this dimension entails a profound internal change, moving from limited or subordinate self-recognition to a position of leadership and autonomy, which can be achieved through the organization.

Among the positive effects identified in the literature review (Table 1), it was highlighted that the integration of women into organizations strengthens their self-esteem, thereby favoring the development of new competencies and leadership. Aguilar et al. (2008); Robinson et al. (2019) pointed out that organizations made traditionally ignored talents visible, whereas Littrell and Dickson (2006) stressed that interpersonal interaction and shared learning improve self-perception and confidence.

In Mexico, Figueroa-Rodríguez et al. (2014) documented that participation in organizations drives more informed decision-making and reinforces personal appraisal. This phenomenon was also reported by Villanueva and Villagómez (2019); Ortega et al. (2018); this study directly linked business success to the strengthening of self-esteem.

Guzmán (2021) study highlighted that the recognition and revaluation of ancestral knowledge and techniques are essential within this dimension, especially in contexts such as crafts, where creativity acquires a significant symbolic value. When organizations provide tools and knowledge and even motivate the questioning of gender positions, artisans strengthen their self-esteem and security, encouraging their creativity and innovation, because they revalue their knowledge and experience.

Similarly, Verzosi and Carbajal (2023); Aguiar et al. (2011) highlighted the importance of specific business development programs implemented by organizations, which directly promote strategic competencies and leadership skills in artisan women. Reciprocally, the organization is favored by a team motivated to meet its objectives.

The organizations also impose challenges on the artisans. Castillo et al. (2020) point out that literacy and access to technological platforms promoted by organizations favor the learning of communication skills. Nevertheless, in rural regions, where there are more female artisans, access can be limited, affecting communication with their customers, opening markets, improving their administrative processes and marketing strategies; the digital divide becomes a significant obstacle, limiting social cohesion and participation in commercial and management networks.

Bidegain and Scuro (2020) emphasized that technological ignorance excludes women from decision-making and marketing spaces, reproducing internal inequities. Lack of literacy also leads to exclusion, especially when organizations tend to favor individuals with a higher level of education, usually men, over illiterate or low-educated women. Gender inequalities can also be perpetuated if they lack adequate management or an inclusive approach (Soto and Díaz, 2020; Contreras et al., 2022).

This problem has historical roots in rural areas. Bhandari (2017) shows that, since union times, women faced structural restrictions that limited their development. In the contemporary sphere, Ojha and Mishra (2016) argue that even in highly creative sectors, such as crafts, organizations can maintain barriers that devalue female artisanal work compared to male artisanal work, hindering their empowerment.

Empowerment in the dimension of close relationships

The personal dimension generates significant transformations linked to family relationships (called ‘close relationships’). This dimension addresses how women establish equitable bonds free of domination in their immediate family environment (González and González, 2021). For Rowlands (1995), at this point, not only do relationships change, but also power structures within the family nucleus, moving from relationships of subordination or dependence to more equitable ones.

In this category, some advantages of artisan women’s participation in organizations were identified (Table 2). One of them is the indirect promotion of negotiating domestic responsibilities and strengthening family relationships. For example, a greater economic contribution to the household reduces dependency and even allows them to negotiate with men (whether father, spouse, or even sons and daughters).

This led to the reconfiguration of family roles and the balance in power relations within the home (Sosme and Casados, 2016). The improvement in individual skills and the greater decision-making power promoted within the organization have a favorable impact on coexistence and the resolution of family conflicts in the domestic sphere (Robinson et al., 2019). This situation translated into a greater ability to express opinions, establish agreements, and actively participate in family decisions, which contributes to more dialogued and less hierarchical relationships.

Among the challenges identified in this dimension, López et al. (2022) warned that the unequal distribution of pay and wages, as well as the lack of recognition of their work, weakens motivation. The lack of equity, together with macho approaches or those that lack inclusivity, can be transferred to the family environment, causing conflicts of coexistence in close relationships. Women, feeling devalued in their organizational environment, tend to replicate these dynamics of inequality in their family environment, affecting their interpersonal relationships (Barreda and Gándara, 2007).

The harmony between domestic and work responsibilities is another obstacle. Turok (2013); Villanueva and Villagómez (2019) agree that the double workload (domestic and organizational) assumed by many female artisans, combined with traditional gender hierarchies in the home, reinforces these barriers by limiting the time and energy available for their work activities. These limitations are exacerbated when organizations lack policies of tolerance or empathy towards the situation of female artisans, failing to offer harmony measures that consider their family responsibilities (Da Costa and Taiza, 2015). Paradoxically, organizations can reinforce this exclusion if they condition their access to and ownership of various resources, excluding women who most need access to benefits and opportunities within the organization (García and Cruz, 2023).

Empowerment in the collective dimension

The empowerment of artisan women can manifest itself in different dimensions, without a fixed order between them (Vázquez-Luna et al., 2013). In this dimension, the construction of support networks and solid links with the organizational group, together with the sense of belonging, becomes a fundamental pillar of the process (Shanmugam and Ramakrishna, 2008). This dimension facilitated collective development and strengthened women’s capacity to make visible problems that affect their social well-being (Hernández, 2018).

Organizational networks that foster a participatory environment offer multiple benefits at the collective level (Chuquín, 2023). These networks create educational and employment opportunities, enabling female artisans as a group to increase employability and community participation (Table 3). Studies by Zapata and Suárez (2007) underlined that collaboration with governments and non-governmental organizations expands the reach of organizations in the process of collective empowerment, fostering more inclusive environments.

At the intergenerational level, Morales (2017); Fernández (2018) agreed that these networks strengthen community support, especially for older female artisans, which contributes to organizational sustainability and the transfer of knowledge from one generation to another. For example, technical and financial training programs offered to older women ensure that their artisanal knowledge and experiences are preserved within the community (Delgado et al., 2010).

However, it is important to question whether these programs really value traditional knowledge on an equal footing with modern technical knowledge. In many cases, artisanal work is perceived as an activity that must be adapted to be profitable, when in fact it should be recognized as legitimate knowledge that supports community cultural identity.

Artisan women also face other social and cultural barriers that limit their collective empowerment. In the rural sector, Sarría et al. (2018) highlighted that traditionally entrenched gender roles, which subordinate women within organizational structures without a gender focus, restrict their access to development and leadership activities within organizations. Pucci (2022) noted that this problem is the primary obstacle to achieving women’s empowerment, despite the efforts of organizations to promote internal changes.

Factors such as restricted mobility, resistance to the adoption of modern technologies, and unequal access to training are other major barriers (Hoinle et al., 2013). Overcoming these challenges requires a multidimensional approach that not only challenges traditional gender norms but also raises awareness among organizations and communities about the importance of gender equality in the artisanal sector. In addition, interventions must be accompanied by a conscious effort to include women at all levels of decision-making, training, and leadership.