Women Empowerment Initiatives for Rural Development in South Africa: The Missing Piece of the Puzzle

In this paper we present a review of secondary data on women empowerment in the rural areas of South Africa. The review reveals that information as well as material, financial and social resources needed for empowering women are often lacking. Yet, information and economic resources determine the achievement of proper nutrition, good education, participation in decision-making processes and politics. Also, better engagement of grassroots communities accelerates the unlocking of women’s potential, boosts their self-esteem and effectively mobilizes the support of crucial stakeholders within their areas of residence. Although considerable progress has been made in creating an enabling environment for women empowerment, there is still need for improving the dissemination of information and developing viable economic empowerment models for women, in particular those in rural areas. We conclude that for women to benefit meaningfully from the empowerment initiatives of the South African government it is imperative to involve women and their communities, in particular men and local leaders, at all stages of the project cycle.