Abstract:

Women’s empowerment across industries have been prioritized alongside aims to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) and community development across the globe. For years now, tourism industries have been lauded for the opportunities it provide to women who comprise majority of the industry’s workforce. Despite this, studies suggest that women’s participation in tourism do not necessarily contribute to their empowerment, nor result to their equality in the industry. In building on the existing discourses, this study examines the existing literature to investigate the impact of women’s participation on their empowerment and its impact on community development. By conducting a literature review, a conceptual model based on the study’s propositions illustrate the relationship between women’s participation and empowerment in tourism. The findings of the study suggest that not all forms of tourism activities contribute to the empowerment of women. More specifically, the results reveal that while women’s participation positively influences the psychological and economic empowerment of women, its positive impact on their political and social empowerment remain questionable. Similarly, the results reveal the positive influence of women’s economic empowerment on community development remain challenged. 

Keywords: Women, Participation, Empowerment, Tourism, Community Development, UN SDGs