Politics of aid / Backgrounder
The individual as an agent of change: the empowerment process
12/12/2006 By Paula San Pedro
Empowerment is valuable in and of itself, although it also holds value as an instrument.
It is relevant both at the individual and social levels and it can occur across various dimensions - economic, political, socio-cultural, personal, psychological, and organisational. Additionally, the term can be used to describe relationships between individuals, between collectives, and between the latter and institutions.
Due to the lack of a single and standardized definition, we have opted for our own, defining it as broadly and inclusively as possible using many of the concepts already used in previous and varied definitions. In addition, this definition is flexible enough to adapt to the different contexts in which it can be applied.
As such, empowerment is understood as a transformation process by which the individual gains power and control in order to make decisions and meet his or her own objectives.
According to this interpretation, empowerment may be the means to an end (such as reducing poverty or preventing conflicts) or it can be considered an end in and of itself (an individual or group that empowers itself).
The focus of this interpretation considers that the process begins with the individual and only through the latter’s own understanding of reality does he or she succeed in changing the structures of power.
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Publishing groups
EmpowermentKeywords
Aid management Aid policy DevelopmentRelated publications
Bio author: Paula San Pedro
BA in Economic Science by the Universidad Autónoma of Madrid and MA in Cooperation and Project Management by the Ortega and Gasset Foundation. She is currently doing her PhD in International Economy at the Universidad Complutense of Madrid.
