What is Empowerment?
EarthEmpower’s empowerment model is rooted in developing four core empowerment competencies - the ability to know, the ability to want, the ability to have, and the ability to do. The ability to have is addressed through access to income through just work. To create additional capabilities, EarthEmpower provides training, capacity building and resources across the following pillars of empowerment.
The majority of the women and farmers that EarthEmpower works with have limited formal education. Rural, indigenous women are the least likely group to complete formal education and 48% of rural, indigenous women are illiterate. EarthEmpower provides continuing education and training opportunities to women employees and farmers. EarthEmpower supports staff members to create personal and professional development plans with identified learning opportunities and provides resources and trainings in line with team members identified needs. Additionally, for any team member pursuing formal education, additional vacation days and accommodations are made as necessary to support staff members in advancing their studies.
In Guatemala, and many patriarchal societies across the globe, girls and women are not encouraged to cultivate a sense of self or aspire to anything outside of domestic and family life. Women perform more then triple domestic labor than men and consequently are often seen as little more than an extension of the home. In order to exercise personal autonomy, one must have knowledge and recognition of personal skills and desires and the ability to express and act on these desires. EarthEmpower also offers emotional wellness workshops, led by external experts on emotional intelligence and emotional processing, which is essential to cultivate a healthy sense of self.
Power - In practice, empowerment is one's ability to make decisions for one's self and to participate in decision making processes in their family, community and society. In a culture where women are undervalued and taught to be subservient, cultivating leadership and confidence requires extensive training. EarthEmpower provides training on public speaking, communication skills, financial literacy, sexual education, gender based violence, and leadership to provide a comprehensive base for the manifestation of personal power.