Understanding the Empowerment Phenomenon

Although pilot programs and numerous structured non-formal education programs may have been successful in their short-term efforts to develop and empower women, in many cases, beneficiaries of these programs do not undergo follow-up or participate in a formal assessment of the program?s effectiveness. Therefore, documented evidence of any enduring impact of these programs on the lives of participants is scarce. This book examines the long-term effects of a Pilot Women?s Empowerment Program through a follow-up evaluation with students enrolled at an urban community college. During the program, students engaged in empowerment training that assessed their understanding of the empowerment phenomenon and assisted in fostering a sense of empowerment that positively affected their personal and academic growth and development. Each student?s empowerment experience is interwoven with contemporary personal stories to confirm that an individual?s understanding of empowerment is enhanced over time and that women are empowered through connectivity. The analysis confirms that evaluating program effectiveness is key and that participant involvement in the evaluation process is invaluable.