Gouvernance locale et autonomisation des personnes en situation de précarité en zone rurale : cas des veuves

Abstract

The aim of this dissertation is to “understand how local governance accounts for the empowerment of widowed women in precarious situations in rural areas”. To this effect, it was found that the worse off widows are, the less help they seek, and that at certain points in their lives, the more help they receive, the worse off they become. In this regard, the idea of empowering widows in rural areas requires a certain proximity between professionals thereto and the target. However, according to Bouvier (2012), while geographical proximity facilitates coordination and the weaving of mutual aid links, it also tends to be the scene of tensions and conflicts, since it is based on a symbolic level in terms of relational social construction, bearers of meanings, memories and identity issues. The research was therefore conducted as a case study using a comprehensive paradigm. Data was collected from two (02) widowed women in the Essessal-Akok locality using an interview guide. Using the horizontal thematic analysis technique, the main findings suggest, firstly, that community action acts as a catalyst for an empowerment process rooted in local realities. Secondly, through the current changes in the CTDs, the new rules are the subject of collective discussions, sometimes going as far as drawing up charters. They give a greater, even consistent, place to the environment and sustainable development. Thirdly, through community action, the empowerment of widows tends to move from a nationally conceived local system of administration to a system of local “government” of territorial-led actions co-constructed by the territorial stakeholders. This suggests that the issue of empowering people in precarious situations in rural areas, must be able to integrate two complementary aspects: firstly, the technical aspect, illustrated by training in various fields with the aim of strengthening knowledge and skills, and secondly, the equipment and infrastructure aspect