In this fascinating collection of writings, Srilatha Batliwala, feminist thinker
and practitioner, explores the many dimensions of what empowerment means for,
and to, women. Looking back on a life lived through commitment to a cause rather
than to an organisation or to a sector and working for it at many levels and
locations, she traces the evolution of the concept from the late 1980s till now,
unravelling its ambiguities, highlighting insights gained through practice, and
analysing how and why it has been depoliticised and reduced by the state and aid
agencies.
Along the way, Batliwala traverses key sectors, including education for women,
politics outside political systems, grassroots