Communities of practice and rural women's empowerment: Insights from a case study of grassroots cooperative in Turkey

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of a women's agricultural development cooperative, as a community of practice, on the empowerment of its members. Focusing on the Zeyniler Çalıkuşu Women's Agricultural Development Cooperative in Turkey, the study adopts a case study approach. Based on semi-structured interviews, the study shows how sharing knowledge, learning, services and practices shape women's empowerment experiences. The cooperative not only provides income-generating opportunities but also serves as a platform for gender awareness, decision-making, and legal awareness. Findings underline that active participation in the cooperative, sharing, and learning within the cooperative transform women's roles, enabling them to challenge traditional gender norms and enhance their spatial mobility, self-confidence, and collective agency. The impact of all these factors is strongly associated with social empowerment. Other forms of empowerment experienced within the cooperative include psychological, economic, and social empowerment. Furthermore, the cooperative's impact extends beyond its members, encouraging other village women to participate in public life and redefine their social roles. In conclusion, the study demonstrates that women's cooperatives are a community of practice that functions as transformative spaces that promote not only economic empowerment but also broader gender equality and social development.