Communication Skills and Empowerment of Rural Women

Abstract

Objective: To determine the relationship between communication skills and the empowerment of women farmers located in the Puno region, Peru. Theoretical Framework: The theoretical basis focuses on communication skills and women's empowerment. Communication skills refer to an individual's ability to express their thoughts, needs, feelings, desires, and concerns using oral and written language, which serve as tools to facilitate interaction among participants involved in communication. Women's empowerment is the process through which women increase their capacity to shape their own lives and environments, manifested in different ways: a sense of security, economic participation, political involvement, leadership, and decision-making. Methodology: The methodology is based on a quantitative correlational research approach, with a non-experimental and cross-sectional design. The sample was census-based and consisted of 40 women leaders representing the rural communities of the Human Rights and Environment Association. Results: There is a moderately positive and significant correlation between communication skills and women's empowerment (r = 0.53), with a p-value < 0.05. This indicates that as communication skills develop, women's empowerment improves, giving them greater opportunities to participate in politics, the economy, and decision-making, which contributes to improving their family and local lifestyle.