Women's perceptions of empowerment in Ramsar, a tourism destination in northern Iran

Few researchers have accounted for the unique context (e.g., economic, socio-cultural) affecting women's perceptions of empowerment. Recognizing that tourism, particularly in growing economies provides a unique context within which empowerment may occur, a qualitative approach was employed to uncover Iranian women's overall perception of empowerment and whether it differed based on occupation (i.e., tourism vs. non-tourism, including homemakers). Overall, 10 unique perceptions of empowerment were identified, 2 of which (i.e., having unique behavioral characteristics and faith) are new to the literature. In addition, women differed in their perception of empowerment when occupation and perceived level of empowerment were considered. The results suggested researchers must not ignore socio-cultural facets of empowerment, the degree to which women perceive of themselves as empowered, and more when conducting research on factors affecting women's perception of empowerment.