The Role of Solidarity in Women’s Empowerment: Narratives from Northeast Brazil

We examine how social and solidarity economy organizations (SSEOs) generate value for female participants and their community. Our theoretical framework pairs a social utility framework with the capability approach, integrating the perspective of feminist economists to capture value of various types. SSEOs can adopt dimensions of social utility in their activities, including solidarity, identity, sustainable economic development, citizenship, and self-governance. Our study connects these dimensions with value, framed by the capability approach. Findings rely on interviews with participants of Projeto ELAS, a program that promotes socio-productive inclusion of low-income mothers. Participants strengthened their ability to aspire, engage with their community, persevere, feel self-efficacious, and be financially sustained through a process of social interaction, positive identity, and financial growth. Our findings highlight the importance of relational processes within SSEOs and open avenues for research that uses a social utility framework to analyze social value and territorial impact by SSEOs.