The role of handicraft cooperatives in empowering the women of Qeshm Global Geopark

Subject Areas : Quarterly Journal of Woman and Society

Farzaneh Haghighat ghahfarokhi ¹ , Amir abbas Najafipour ²

1 - PhD in Tourism Management, Department of Tourism, Bam Higher Education Complex, Kerman, Iran
2 - Member of the faculty of Tourism Department, Bam Higher Education Complex, Kerman, Iran

Received: 2023-01-15 Accepted : 2024-05-25 Published : 2024-07-22

Keywords: Women, Empowerment, Tourism, Geopark, Handicrafts,

Abstract :

Introduction:

The tourism industry, as an industry that provides women access to job opportunities and economic participation, has played an important role in empowering women. Qeshm Global Geopark, as a tourism destination that has expressed cooperation with economic activists of local community as one of its goals, has been able to create many opportunities for women's employment. According to this issue, the present research examines whether the development of tourism in the village of Borke Khalaf has empowered the women of the village through their active participation in handicraft production cooperatives, and what evidence and documentation are there in relation to the empowerment of women in the village of Borke Khalaf can be identified.

Method:

The method used in this research is a combination of observation methods, qualitative interview and memory protocol.

Result:

The results of the research show that the development of tourism activities in Qeshm Geopark has been effective in empowering women in various economic, social, psychological and political dimensions.

Conclusion:

Due to the positive performance, this cooperative was able to act as a model for women in other villages of the island. Also, the managers of the Geopark emphasized the alignment of the activities of these cooperatives with the fifth goal of development, which deals with the issue of gender equality, and in this regard, they implemented educational programs for women in other villages.

References:

1. Qeshm Geopark http://qeshmgeopark.ir/
2. Mojtabazadeh Khanghahi, H., & Parsai Raouf, P. Investigating the role of local communities in sustainable development according to the capabilities of Qeshm Geopark. Quarterly Journal of Tourism and Future Perspectives, 2014: No. 3, pp: 81-96.

3.Alrwajfah, M., Almeida-García,F., Cortes-Macías,R. Females’ perspectives on tourism’s impact and their employment in the sector: The case of Petra, Jordan.,Tourism Management. 2020.      
4.Amiri, S. The role of tourism in empowering rural women. Tehran: The thesis published by Allameh Tabatabai University. 2019.     
5. Torabi Farsani,N. C, Coelho & C, Costa . “Geotourism and Geoparks as Novel Strategies for Socio-economic Development in Rural Areas”  .International Journal Of Tourism Redearch. 2011: pp. 68–81.
6.                   https://globalgeoparksnetwork.org
7. Kabeer, N. Resources, agency, achievements: Reflections on the measurement of women's empowerment. Development and Change, 1999: 30(3),pp: 435-464.
8.United Nations: https://www.un.org/en/

9. Ahmadi, P. Examining the role of ecotourism development in entrepreneurship and women's empowerment in Aras Free Commercial-Industrial Zone . 2018.           
10.Scheyvens, R. Ecotourism and the empowerment of local communities. Tourism Management, 1999: 20(2), pp: 245-249.

11. Rigaud, J. The theory of empowerment: A critical analysis with the theory evaluation scale. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment. 2019.

12. World Tourism Organization:  http://unwto.org/
13.Aghazamani, Y. u. C, Hunt. Empowerment in tourism: a review of peer-reviewed literature. In: Tourism Review International. 2017: Vol. 21, pp. 333–346.
14. Coria, J., & Calfucura, E. Ecotourism and the development of indigenous communities: The good, the bad, and the ugly. Ecological Economics, 2012: 73, 47-55.
15.Ramos, A. M., & Prideaux, B. Indigenous ecotourism in the Mayan rainforest of Palenque: Empowerment issues in sustainable development. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 2014: 22(3), pp:461-479.
16. Timothy, D. J. "Empowerment and stakeholder participation in tourism destination communities" In A. Church, & T. Coles, Tourism, Power and Space. London and NewYork: Routledge. 2007: pp. 199-216.
17.Jensen, Q. Social mediation in remote developing world tourism locations–the significance of social ties between local guides and host communities in sustainable tourism development. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 2010: 18(5), 615-633.
18.  Boley, B. B., & McGehee, N. G. Measuring empowerment: Developing and validating the resident empowerment through tourism scale (RETS). Tourism Management, 2014: 45, 85-94.             
19. Cole, S. Information and Empowerment: The Keys to Achieving Sustainable Tourism, Journal of Sustainable Tourism. 2006:  No. 607, 2006.               
20. Boley, B. B., Maruyama, N., & Woosnam, K. M. Measuring empowerment in an eastern context: Findings from Japan. Tourism Management, 2015: 50, pp: 112-122.
21.Farrelly, T. A. Indigenous and democratic decision-making: Issues from community-based ecotourism in the Boumā National Heritage Park, Fiji. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 2011: 19(7), pp: 817-835.
22.Weng, S., & Peng, H. Tourism development, rights consciousness and the empowerment of Chinese historical village communities. Tourism Geographies, 2014: 16(5), pp: 772-784.               

23.Kabeer, N. “Women’s Economic Empowerment and Inclusive Growth; Labor Markets and Enterprise Development,” SIG Working Paper 2012, Ottawa: IDRC and DFID.
24.United Nations: https://www.un.org/en/, 1998

25.Shaditalab, J., Wahabi, M., & and Vermaziar, H. Income poverty is only one aspect of the poverty of female heads of the household. Scientific research quarterly of social welfare. 2004. 4(17).   
26.Chant,S. Women, girls, and world poverty: empowerment, equality or essentialism? International Development Planning Review, 2016. 

27.  Bradshaw, S.,  Chant, S.,  &  Linneker, B.Challenges and Changes in Gendered Poverty: The Feminization, De-Feminization, and Re-Feminization of Poverty in Latin America. Feminist Economics, 2018:25 pp: 119-144.
 28. Cattaneo, L. B., & Chapman, A. R. The process of empowerment: A model for use in research and practice. American Psychologist, 2010: 65(7), 646.         

29. Fair,C., Littman, R. ,Malhotra, N.,&  Shapiro,  J. Relative Poverty, Perceived Violence, and Support for Militant Politics: Evidence from Pakistan. Political Science Research and Methods ,  2016: 6(1): 57 – 81.
30.Weischer, C. Sozialforschung. UVK, Konstanz. 2007 .    
31.  Lamnek,S.u. C, Krell . Qualitative Sozialforschung. (Beltz) Weinheim, Basel. 2016.
32.  Kruker, V.M. u. J. Rauh . Arbeitsmethoden der Humangeographie. WBG, Darmstadt. 2005.        

33.  Chermchian Langroudi, M., & Ali Beigi, A. Investigating factors affecting the psychological empowerment of rural women, Journal of Women's Sociology, 2012: 4(13): pp:165-192.       
34.Saadi, H., Jalilian, S., & Yaqoubi Farani, A. The impact of  home businesses on the social empowerment of rural women, Women and Society, 2013: 5(3): pp:107-85.
35. Ghanbari, A., Derakhshan, E.,  Hassan-zadeh, M., & Gerami zadeh, A. Factors affecting the empowerment of women with an emphasis on the tourism sector, a case study: Si-Skhet city, Journal of Social Studies of Tourism, 2015: 4(8):pp:127-153.
36.Najafi Kani, A., & Wesal, Z. The role of local management in empowering rural women, a case study: Southern Estrabad district of Gorgan city, human settlements planning studies, 2014: 10(30): pp:47-56.
37.  Farzi-zadeh, Z., Motavaseli, M.,& and Taleb, M. Sociological investigation of social and economic empowerment, local understanding of it, factors affecting its growth and obstacles in rural women's society, Rural Development, 2012: 5(1): pp:1-40.
38.  Sharaunga, S., Mudhara, M., & Bogale, A. Effects of ‘women empowerment’on household food security in rural KwaZuluNatal province.Development Policy Review, 2016: 34(2), 223-252.      
39.  Verma, S. Gender, Agriculture and Sustainable Development in India:Women's Marginalization or Empowerment. In Third ISA Forum of Sociolog. Isaconf. 2016:pp. 10-14.
40.  Cunningham, K., Ploubidis, G. B., Menon, P., Ruel, M., Kadiyala, S., Uauy, R., & Ferguson, E. Women’s empowerment in agriculture and child nutritional status in rural Nepal. Public health nutrition. 2015: 18(17), 3134-3145.   
41.  Mahmud, S., Shah, N. M., & Becker, S. .Measurement of women’s empowerment in rural Bangladesh. World Development, 2012: 40(3), 610-619.   
42. Baden,S. Women’s collective action in Africa agricultural markets: the limits of current development practice for rural women’s empowerment. Gender & Development. 2013: 21(2), 295-311.    
43.Creswell, J. (2009). Qualitative Inquiry & Reasearch Design, Second Edition, California: Sage Publication.