Countries: Colombia, Peru, and the Philippines
Program: Volunteer Cooperation Program 2015-2020
Date: July 24, 2020
Implementing partner organization: CESO
Author and contact information: Anna Fabro ([email protected])
Key themes of the case study: Sustainable Tourism, Women’s Economic Empowerment
CESO’s Work in Sustainable Tourism: creating positive impact on
the environment, while strengthening women’s economic
empowerment
Table of Contents
Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................................... 1
1- Introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 2
2- CESO partners working in sustainable tourism ........................................................................................ 2
3- CESO’s strategy to support sustainable tourism ...................................................................................... 4
3.1 Developing or enhancing sustainable tourism plans .................................................................... 5
3.2 Enhancing sustainable water and waste management ................................................................ 5
3.3 Strengthening business development and organizational management practices ...................... 5
4- Results of CESO’s Capacity Development Initiatives .............................................................................. 6
4.1 Research methodology ................................................................................................................. 6
4.2 CESO contribution to support sustainable tourism initiatives ....................................................... 7
4.3 CESO contribution to development of good environmental and sustainable practices. .............. 9
4.4 CESO contribution to capacity enhancement in business development and organizational
management ........................................................................................................................................... 10
4.5 CESO contribution to advance GE and WEE ............................................................................. 12
5- Lessons Learned and next steps ........................................................................................................... 16
6- Conclusion .............................................................................................................................................. 17
Bibliography ................................................................................................................................................ 18
1
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
As one of the largest economic sectors worldwide, the need for sustainability in tourism becomes more apparent.
Through collaborative assignments with seven partner organizations across Colombia, Peru, and the Philippines,
this case study presents CESO’s contributions to advancing sustainable practices and approaches in the tourism
industry, while also promoting Gender Equality (GE) and Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE).
CESO’s strategic assistance is divided into three main areas: (1) development of sustainable tourism planning, (2)
capacity development in water and waste management, and (3) enhancing capacity in business development,
specifically marketing, finance, operations, and organizational management.
Results of CESO’s assistance were assessed through questionnaires answered by partners and assignment
beneficiaries. As well, evidence was gathered from assignment documentation provided by partners, CESO
Advisors, and relevant CESO staff. A total of 18 individual responses were received.
When asked to rate CESO’s overall contribution to sustainable tourism initiatives, 100% of participants indicated
that CESO made a moderate to high impact with their partner organization. 78% of the respondents said that their
own individual capacity for sustainable tourism was increased due to CESO assistance. Examples of CESO
support is the creation of multi-year strategic development plans in collaboration with partners.
Regarding environmental practices such as water and waste management, 94% of respondents indicated that
CESO made moderate to high contributions to sustainability within the partner organizations. CESO support for
environmental practices included teaching partners how to assess water quality and increasing awareness of the
3Rs process (ie. reduce, reuse, and recycle).
Moreover, feedback about CESO’s impact on capacity enhancement in business development was strongly
positive with most participants. 94%, 88%, and 83% of participants indicated moderate to high CESO contribution
in the areas of marketing, finance, and management, respectively.
Advancement of Gender Equality and Women’s Economic Empowerment within the sustainable tourism sector
were additional objective from the CESO assignments. 82% of participants stated that CESO contributed to the
economic empowerment of women within their partner organizations. Two-thirds of female respondents reported
boosted personal confidence, and more than half of female respondents noted increased decision-making
authority within the organization.
Since 1967, CESO has partnered with thousands of organizations, both locally and internationally. Through this
long-standing history, CESO has refined its partnership model. Client needs are aligned with the specific
expertise of CESO advisors, a network of senior-level leaders with, on average, 25 years of experience in their
industries and professions. CESO’s international work in economic development illustrates the lasting change that
is possible through targeted support at the individual and business level. This report illuminates the need for
strong partnerships—those that support sustainability, economically empower women, and advance gender
equality.
2
1- INTRODUCTION
In the last fifty years, tourism has become one of the largest economic sectors worldwide, accounting for over 200
million jobs and a financial impact that is forecasted to grow (UNWTO, 2013). In 2017, the industry brought in an
estimated transaction worth of $1.34 billion USD globally, making tourism an important economic driver especially
in developing countries (UNWTO, 2017). Among the sector’s characteristics are the 54% of women workers that
make up the industry, the 14.7% pay gap between men and women, and women’s very active participation in
community-based tourism, also broadly referred to as a form of sustainable tourism (UNWTO, 2019).
The UNWTO (2019) refers to sustainable tourism as “tourism that takes full account of its current and future
economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and
host communities”. The need to address tourism’s impact in a more holistic manner stems from its occasional
negative impact on natural resources, infrastructure, mobility and congestion, as well as socio-cultural impact. As
a result, a policy topic has emerged within governments to support organizations in ensuring a more sustainable
development of the tourism sector (Guerreiro, 2019).
As a sector that relies on female workers, sustainable tourism plays an important part in addressing Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG5 (“achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls”) and
SDG 8 (“promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all”)
(UNWTO 2019).
The Canadian government through its Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP) aims to address several of
SDGs through collaboration with Volunteer Sending Organizations (VSO). As a VSO, Canadian Executive Service
Organization (CESO) cooperates with the Canadian government to implement FIAP while addressing several
SDGs. With over fifty years of expertise, CESO promotes Gender Equality (GE) and Women’s Economic
Empowerment (WEE) through a variety of international development projects, and by working with change agents
from within civic society, as well as public and private realms. Using a partner-driven approach to assess needs of
partner organizations in developing countries, CESO aims to bridge partners’ knowledge and skills gaps by calling
on the expertise of CESO Advisors. The collaborations between CESO Advisors and partners help beneficiaries
improve their social and economic well-being.
This case study aims to present CESO’s contribution towards reinforcing sustainable practices and approaches in
the tourism industry, while advancing GE and WEE, through collaboration with seven partners in Latin America
and Asia. This study first presents an overview of CESO’s implications in promoting GE and WEE within partner
organizations. Next, a description of the strategy used by CESO and its partners to promote the sustainable
tourism industry is provided. The case then focuses on results of the capacity development and enhancement
initiatives within the partner organizations. Finally, the case study presents lessons learned from assistance
provided and suggests next steps on how to improve future initiatives promoting GE and WEE.
2- CESO PARTNERS WORKING IN SUSTAINABLE TOURISM
To demonstrate the impact of CESO’s contribution to the empowerment of women working in sustainable tourism,
this case study focuses on seven organizations in Colombia, Peru, and the Philippines, which have received
assistance from CESO in the area of sustainable tourism. These seven change agents were chosen due to their
activity in sustainable tourism and the high number of CESO assignments in sustainability provided to these
organizations.
3
The seven partners have different primary missions, however, what they have in common is a desire to develop
sustainable tourism that considers environmental, social, and economic factors, in addition to supporting GE and
WEE—each organization is women-run and/or has a large number of female beneficiaries. By providing
assistance in capacity development and enhancement to a great number of their female members or staff, CESO
has not only strengthened the institutions included in this study, but has also positively promoted GE and WEE
within the area of sustainable tourism. The figure below depicts basic information regarding the seven
organizations that are highlighted in this case study, including their names and the number of people from the
organizations who participated in these assignments.
Figure 1 – CESO partners working in sustainable tourism while promoting GE and WEE
More details on the mission of each of these seven organisations are presented below.
Communitarian Association Yarumo Blanco is a community association dedicated to environmental education.
Yarumo Blanco offers ecotourism services in a sustainable manner that support and respect the natural and
cultural heritage of the region. Activities and services are planned and operated by people of the community,
generating a well-being in the settled communities and allowing their permanence in the territory.
Fundacion Pijao Cittaslow’s mission is to promote the recognition and conservation of Pijao town’s identity,
culture, and patrimony. Their activities include the development of ecotourism initiatives, conservation and
promotion of local architecture, and educational campaigns on the value of the local natural resources, fauna,
flora, and biodiversity.
Tourism Network San Rafael is an organization comprised of tourism providers whose services focus on
sustainability. Objectives include supporting and monitoring the implementation of the Local Sustainable and
Community Tourism Plan of San Rafael, proposing actions to solve problems that affect tourism, and formulating
tourism projects that maximize the economic and social profitability of tourism both for private agents and all
citizens.
The Society of beautification and improvements of Charala is a women-led advisory body of the municipality
whose main goal is to promote the economic, environmental, social, and cultural development of the municipality.
The organization achieves their goal by developing projects that promote protection of historical and cultural
heritage activities aimed at sustainable tourism development, among others that help improve the quality of life of
Charalá’s citizens.
Expediciones Gallito De Las Rocas is a family-owned and women-run business focused on promoting
sustainable tourism in the Manu-Peru Biosphere Reserve. The company provides accommodations as well a
4
restaurant and tour services, and manages a concession area for conservation in the Cloud Forest, which include
the Amazon River, Andean animal and bird species, and Native Amazonian and Andean communities.
The mission of Asociacion Turismo Rural Peru (ATRP) is to lead the development of the Peruvian countryside
by supporting and promoting its members’ privately owned “Casas and Haciendas” which offer high quality
sustainable rural tourism experiences in Peru.
With eight campuses, Cagayan State University (CSU) is the largest state institution of higher learning in the
Cagayan Valley Region. CSU is currently developing agri-tourism at its Sanchez-Mira and Piat campuses.
3- CESO’S STRATEGY TO SUPPORT SUSTAINABLE TOURISM
Through collaborative needs assessments by the seven partners and CESO Advisors, several common
challenges emerged. Firstly, the need to help organizations develop clearer direction towards goal achievement
was identified. Secondly, as tourism impacts the use of resources, enhancing water and waste management
practices were found to be important to ensuring sustainability. Finally, filling knowledge gaps within different
organizational functions would help strengthen partners’ ability to reach their objectives.
Consequently with these assessments, CESO’s overall assistance was concentrated in three main areas: (1)
development or enhancement of sustainable tourism plans, (2) capacity development in sustainable water and
waste management, and (3) capacity development in business development and management, including
marketing and web development.
The figure below illustrates the relationship between CESO’s assistance in the three focus areas and its expected
impact on the selected organizations and eventual improvement in environmental protection, GE, and WEE in the
field of sustainable tourism.
Figure 2- CESO’s strategy to improve environmental sustainability, GE, and WEE in the sustainable
tourism industry
5
3.1 Developing or enhancing sustainable tourism plans
CESO carried out activities with four different local partners (CSU, Charala, Pijao and Yarumo Blanco) to
specifically address gaps in tourism plans and planning processes. The initiatives aimed to help partners deepen
their understanding, enhance capacity for developing plans according to their reality, and provide a tool for
guiding the organizations to help enhance the local economy through sustainable tourism initiatives. Each tourism
plan drafted or reviewed included particular attention to the inclusion of women roles and needs.
3.2 Enhancing sustainable water and waste management
As tourism bears an impact on natural resources, CESO supported Fundacion Pijao Cittaslow with three
assignments regarding environmental management practices. CESO assignments dealt with assessing the water
treatment plant and solid waste management in Pijao and provided recommendations to improve quality. Another
CESO initiative provided teachers in Pijao with training and support on curriculum development related to
teaching students recycling, re-use. and reduction of solid waste, in addition to teaching environmental
stewardship. One of the objectives of the assignment was to encourage community responsibility with respect to
waste management, recycling, reduction, and re-use of waste material, including composting. As women are
responsible for water and waste management in most households and are often the most affected by
environmental problems (OSCE, 2009), CESO Advisors advocated for a gender-sensitive approach to natural
resources management, ensuring their active participation and consideration in assignments.
3.3 Strengthening business development and organizational management practices
As the missions of the seven organisations include the promotion of environmental sustainability and women’s
economic empowerment in sustainable tourism, it was expected that strengthening their general management
practices would help them increase their overall capacity to accomplish their missions. Several assignments were
undertaken to assist partners fill gaps and achieve organizational goals. CESO’s assistance focused on
marketing, operations, financial and organizational management.
Marketing
The development of a marketing plan as well as knowledge of target marketing, communication, and visibility
through website and social media are important elements in attracting clientele. To improve the marketing
function of organizations and make sustainable tourism more attractive to tourists, CESO assisted local partners
by delivering marketing workshops and assisting with development of marketing strategies and plans.
Additionally, several assignments were undertaken to assist with branding, website design, and content, including
translation and production of visual media such as videos and photos for use on website and social media. The
marketing assignments were delivered based on partner needs for promoting their goods and services. Overall,
nine assignments were based on marketing initiatives with Communitarian Association Yarumo Blanco, ATRP,
Gallito de las Rocas Lodge, and San Rafael Tourism Network.
Operations and finance
Operational and financial management were other areas which partners indicated as challenges. Assignments
were provided to Communitarian Association Yarumo Blanco and Gallito de las Rocas Lodge to help train their
management teams to develop standard operating procedures, review financial analysis processes, develop
financial tools, and assist partners with pricing products and services. Additionally, CESO collaborated with
6
Expediciones Gallito de las Rocas to establish a target market profile and identify trips that support environmental
stewardship. Through these finance and operation focused assignments, the organizations are better positioned
to improve revenue and expense management and access an operational plan which can meet their objectives,
such as being better able to invest in sustainable tourism practices.
Organizational management
CESO also assisted Communitarian Association Yarumo Blanco to strengthen its organizational management
including culture, communication, and leadership. CESO assistance involved development and delivery of
partner-led workshops on organizational communications processes and leadership team training. Additionally,
meetings were held in collaboration with staff to establish current and desired organizational culture, understand
the association’s mission and vision, and identify behaviors and practices that best contribute to accomplishing
said mission and vision.
Overall, the activities previously described were delivered according to CESO’s strategy and were well received
by the partners. This case study aims to present the impact of CESO’s support on strengthening capacity of these
organizations, and how this increased capacity helps to support environmental sustainability, gender equality, and
women’s economic empowerment through sustainable tourism initiatives. The next section presents results from
these activities.
4- RESULTS OF CESO’S CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES
4.1 Research methodology
To assess the results of CESO’s assistance, questionnaires were sent to individuals who participated in the
various assignments with the previously mentioned seven partners. The questionnaire was made available in
English and Spanish and contained multiple choice questions, as well as development questions on topics such
as CESO’s contribution to helping their organization support sustainable tourism initiatives and gender equality.
Special effort was made to ask beneficiaries about their personal definition of an economically empowered
woman and their perception on the obstacles that prevent women from being economically empowered. Asking
these questions allowed the author to gather information directly from beneficiaries, and present perspectives
from first-hand sources. In addition to questionnaires, evidence was gathered using assignment documentation
provided by CESO Advisors, partners, and relevant CESO staff. All seven CESO partners collaborated to provide
information for this case study. A total of eighteen individual responses were received during a six-week
campaign to gather information from beneficiaries of CESO assistance. Below is the results analysis of
aggregated data from three male and 15 female respondents.
7
4.2 CESO’s contribution to support sustainable tourism initiatives
When asked to rate CESO’s overall contribution to sustainable
tourism (on a scale of No, Low, Moderate, or High impact), 10
respondents indicated that CESO made a significant
contribution to sustainable tourism through their organizations
while the other eight mentioned a moderate impact. At the
individual level, 78% of respondents indicated that they
significantly enhanced their capacity in the area of sustainable
tourism due to CESO’s interventions. Some examples of
CESO‘s contribution to sustainable tourism are described
below.
A way CESO contributed to promoting sustainable tourism
initiatives was by assisting partners enhance or develop sound
tourism development plans. Two assignments for the Society for the Beautification of Charala in 2018 helped
beneficiaries gain knowledge regarding the importance of having a plan that balances tourism and its social,
economic, and environmental impacts on the municipality. Since the end of the assignments, the partner has
followed its enhanced tourism plan and made several advances such as registering the tourist site El Zaque on
the online platform Village Monde, an NGO which promotes sustainable tourism in unexplored destinations to
benefit local communities. Moreover, tour services are being improved by providing training to tour guides.
Following the recommendation of a CESO Advisor, because the municipality of Charala values the preservation,
promotion, and sharing of the local culture, the partner created the Ruta del Tiple cultural movement to promote
artistic and cultural activities that showcase the historic, artistic, and cultural richness of Colombian Andean
music. An inaugural concert of Ruta del Tiple was held in Charala which made for a cultural tourist attraction that
valued and promoted local art. Another outcome achieved with CESO’s support was the Women of Charala
Network, an initiative developed by the community as, not only a meeting and dissemination space for artistic,
cultural, and entrepreneurship initiatives, but also a way to strengthen leadership and female participation in all
the aspects of everyday life in Charala. Finally, based on CESO Advisors’ interventions, the partner included
strengthening the Casa Memoria Jose Antonio Galan within its tourism planning. This is an important place where
cultural and artistic activities are developed and supported within the framework of sustainable tourism
development. The impact of the organization is meaningful as it preserves and promotes the history and culture of
the people in the region.
At Cagayan State University (CSU), CESO assistance led to the creation of a two-year plan at the Sanchez-Mira
campus and a six-year plan at the Piat campus to help develop agro-eco tourism sites. Narcitas B. Ouano,
Sanchez-Mira’s Campus Executive Officer, indicated that the plan “served as a compass that clearly guided the
actions” regarding the university clearing the grounds, planting, landscaping orchards, gardens, demonstration
plots and paths. The creation of the two-year plan guided the development of the area as a strategic bird watching
site for tourists, as well as a wildlife preservation initiative. Moreover, the plan included that small
accommodations such as the Kubotel (picture 1) were to be built on site in order to attract tourists that might
prefer an overnight stay. Additionally, a farmers training centre at the Sanchez-Mira campus was completed
(Picture 2 & 3) and used to promote tourism and organic agriculture trainings and technology transfer.
8
Picture 1 - Kubotel CSU-Sanchez Mira
Pictures 2 & 3 - Training Center CSU Sanchez-Mira
At the Piat campus, the development of a six-year agri-eco tourism development plan was used to strengthen
their search for funding, in addition to gaining capacity in project proposal writing. The Dean, College of
Agriculture, noted the enhancement of the CSU-Piat Agri-ecotourism development plan for local, national, or
international funding as progress since receiving CESO assistance. Moreover, 10 million PHP (approx. 260,000
CAD) in funds was secured from CSU Central Administration, which have been used to establish crops and
animal projects, as well as infrastructures and amenities at the nature farm. The agri-tourism development plan
created with CESO assistance has also helped CSU-Piat obtain funding from the Department of Tourism, which
in turn has enabled the building of a Pasalubong Center (a display shop for locally produced products), as well as
greenhouses/nurseries, and the purchase of some agriculture equipment. According to Dr. Lina Garan, Vice
President of CSU for Partnership and Resource Mobilization, "The Plan is now being used to secure funds from
international/national investors through the Public Private Partnership (PPP). The project was termed Mixed-Use
Agri -Tourism. If approved, we are expecting more than 200 million pesos to fund our adventure and agri-tourism
project.” CESO’s interventions have contributed to the increased confidence and skills in proposal development of
the CSU staff.
9
4.3 CESO’s contribution to development of good environmental and sustainable practices.
When asked to rate CESO’s degree of contribution to
environmental practices (on a scale of Not Applicable, Low,
Moderate, or High), 63% of respondents indicated that CESO
made a high contribution on environmental practices used in
their organizations, while 31% mentioned moderate impact,
and 6% mentioned it did not make an impact on this particular
area (two respondents did not answer).
At Fundacion Pijao Cittaslow, CESO assisted the partner in
evaluating the local waste management system and helped
the partner develop capacity in sustainable water and waste
management, including learning how to assess water quality.
Moreover, the partner enhanced their awareness regarding
waste reduction, reuse, and recycling as well as solid waste
management. As a result, waste is being recycled, composts are converted to fertilizer and sold in the town
market, and batteries are collected yearly by the municipality of Pijao for recycling. Another important outcome
from CESO interventions is the gained knowledge of the 3Rs concept (reduce, reuse, recycle). As a result,
information on waste management and composting have been included in the area’s Environmental School
Program. Approximately 400 school children have followed the new educational modules to increase awareness
about consumption, recycling, and waste. According to respondent Monica Flores of Fundacion Pijao Cittaslow,
CESO’s assignments have not only supported sustainable tourism in Pijao, but also raised the consciousness of
the community regarding environmental issues and sustainable practices for the community. The foundation
continues to engage with the municipality to improve the local water system.
One of the ten respondents who indicated that CESO assistance helped enhance good sustainability to a high
degree, Hacienda Santa Maria, a member of Associacion Turismo Rural Peru (ATRP), indicated
organizational improvements such as using more natural cleaning products, using more organic waste to improve
soil, more responsible use of water, and participating in local cleanup campaigns of local tourist attractions. In
addition, the organization is communicating and sharing sustainability issues and concepts with staff, such as the
separation of organic and inorganic waste. Examples of sustainable initiatives (Pictures 4 & 5) that were
implemented following CESO’s interventions are presented below.
High
10
Pictures 4 & 5 – Separation of organic and inorganic waste, and water-saving measure at Hacienda
Santa Maria, member of ATRP
4.4 CESO contribution to capacity enhancement in business development and organizational
management
The seven CESO partners and their members had different needs and requests for assistance. Therefore, the
nature of assistance and the responses varied when asked to rate CESO’s degree of contribution to institutional
strengthening areas such as marketing, operations and finance, and organization management (on a scale of Not
Applicable, Low, Moderate, or A Lot). Overall, most respondents still indicated that CESO contributed moderately
or highly to each of the areas. Examples of benefits that institutional strengthening have provided to CESO
partners working towards sustainable tourism are described below.
CESO’s Contribution in Marketing Improvements
39% of respondents indicated that they received significant
assistance while 55% noted moderate assistance in the area
of marketing. In fact, CESO has completed several
assignments which have led to marketing strategies with
concrete objectives for partners, development and
strengthening of brand identity, creation of logo, website
enhancements, production of online content, and training on
social media use.
Due to CESO’s support, management at Refugio de
Santiago, a female-run rural lodge and a member of ATRP,
learned the importance of having and following a marketing
plan, as well outreach through social media. The most
significant change indicated was defining their target market
and applying knowledge in marketing to improve sales.
Moreover, Delia Velarde Buraschi of Hacienda Santa Marta, a member of ATRP, co-founded Ecoturismo Peru.
This new regional ecotourism association is dedicated to promoting destinations through sustainable tourism
High
11
activities such as trekking, hiking, bird watching and bike tours. The founding of this association was based on
experience and knowledge gained from participation at a tourism fair in Canada in 2018, as well as capacity
gained through CESO assistance.
In the case of Colombia’s San Rafael Tourism Network, CESO’s assistance reinforced the partner’s confidence
in their target market. Moreover, the support from an international organization such as CESO has enhanced the
perception of San Rafael Tourism Network as a credible institution deserving of support. This has led to the
unintended benefit of enhancing their credibility on the part of all their stakeholders, the public, and other local
and regional actors.
CESO’s Contribution in Operations and Finance Management Improvements
In addition to marketing, operations and finance are other
areas in which CESO has contributed to supporting sustainable
tourism. 78% of respondents indicated that CESO contributed
significantly to their knowledge of operations and finance while
10% reported a moderate contribution.
One example is the Communitarian Association Yarumo
Blanco who enhanced their capacity in developing KPIs (Key
Performance Indicators), SOPs (Standard Operating
Procedures), and operational planning processes. Moreover,
they learned to use tools for pricing and budget monitoring,
which they used to support better decision making and
strengthened business development practices.
CESO’s assistance provided to Galito de las Rocas, a small family-owned business in Peru, has led the partner
to develop their company’s financial projections using accounting tools, while improving pricing for their services.
This in turn has promoted efficiency and increased sales/revenues. The growth in business has helped the small
business increase wages for all staff.
CESO’s Contribution in Organizational Management Improvements
50% of respondents indicated that CESO contributed
significantly to their organizational management skills.
Communitarian Association Yarumo Blanco enhanced
their awareness of the importance of communication and
strong leadership culture to keep staff motivated. To this end,
the organization improved their management practices by
creating a communication system and space for dialogue and
co-creation. Overall, most organizations recognized the need
to develop and follow plans and strategies for marketing,
operations, and management.
High
Low
High
12
4.5 CESO contribution to advance GE and WEE
Promoting gender equality and women’s economic empowerment is at the heart of CESO’s sustainable tourism
assignments, as women make up a large part of the workforce. As previously mentioned, the projects analysed
throughout this case study involve CESO partners in Latin America and Asia who value environmental protection
and women empowerment. This section focuses on the impact CESO’s assistance had on advancing GE and
WEE.
Picture 6 - Delia Velarde Burashi, second from right, Owner and Manager of Hacienda Santa Maria,
member of ATRP
What is an economically empowered woman?
Gender Equality and Women’s Economic Empowerment can be defined in different ways. Part of the process of
promoting GE and WEE means that beneficiaries, especially females, are given a platform to voice their ideas
and opinions. Therefore, the questionnaire sent to CESO beneficiaries included a question about how they define
a woman who is economically empowered. This gave them the opportunity to express their thoughts. Below are
some of their responses:
“A woman who defines and designs her own income generation strategies for herself and
her community, based on her own interests, motivations and needs, and likewise has the
capacity and freedom to decide how to make use of her capital.”
- Ms. Aminta Solano, President, Society of beautification and improvements of Charala
“A woman is economically empowered if she has an access to economic resources and
opportunities including jobs, financial services, property and other productive assets,
skills development and market information.”
- Ms. Narcitas B. Ouano, Campus Executive Officer, Cagayan State University – Sanchez
Mira campus
“The woman who can make her economic decisions for herself, this indicates that in other
aspects of her life she is also empowered.”
- Ms. Karen Milena Quiroga Sanabria, Owner, Memory House José Antonio Galán and El
Zaque part of Society of beautification and improvements of Charala
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“The capacity of a woman to participate, contribute to and benefit from their value of
contributions, and it will lead towards sustainable development.”
- Mr. Hitler C. Dangatan, Dean College of Agriculture, Cagayan State University – Piat
Campus
When looking at the definitions provided by the respondents, common themes emerged. These include: having
access to economic resources, being able to participate in income generating activities, and having the capacity
and freedom to decide how to make use of the income generated.
Women’s Economic Empowerment Areas
The chart below indicates the percentage of female respondents who reported positive changes in various
empowerment areas, which contribute to GE and WEE. The five distinct areas of empowerment presented in the
graph were chosen based on the recurring themes drawn from the different definitions of an economically
empowered woman. While the greatest number of changes were reported in increased self-confidence, several
respondents have also noted increased access to new clients or markets, as well as increased income/revenue,
among others.
CESO’s Contribution in WEE Areas
* Only the answers from the female respondents have been considered for these statistics.
Increased Confidence
The change most experienced by female respondents as a result of CESO assistance has been increased self-
confidence, as a foundation for GE and WEE. For example, the training provided to Fundacion Pijao Cittaslow
helped female members enhance their conviction in their organization and its goals, as well as in themselves.
They have used that gained confidence to advocate for different projects related to waste and water management
within the Pijao community. In addition, the technical assistance received by women in the community has
empowered them within processes of coffee production, tourism and agriculture. The enhanced knowledge has
kept them motivated and enabled them to continue their initiatives. The learnings acquired through CESO
assistance have made them feel proud and secure about their businesses.
At Cagayan State University, the increased self-assuredness because of CESO assistance has helped some
female respondents believe that they can empower other campus officials and students. As indicated by a female
associate professor at the CSU Sanchez-Mira campus, “I can empower my students to become more responsible
in the protection of biological resources.” Moreover, a male respondent from CSU has noticed that female
colleagues are now more vocal in their perceptions and ideas in the workplace because of increased confidence.
14
Better Perception of Ability
20% of female respondents mentioned they feel that people have a better perception of their ability as a result of
the skills gained in business planning and projection, marketing, finance, and human resource management.
While the enhanced perception by others did not follow the 67% of respondents who indicated increased self-
confidence, this may be due to the difficulty in assessing other people’s perception without explicitly asking them.
As an example, a female respondent indicated she felt that colleagues might have improved perceptions of her
ability, and when asked for more detail, she stated “I was given other tasks/designation”. Yet, she still indicated
that she could not be entirely sure if this was because her colleagues had a better perception of her ability.
Increased Decision-Making Authority
As shown by the quotes from some female respondents presented earlier, the ability to make or contribute to
decisions is an important component of feeling empowered. Of the 15 female respondents, 53% noted an
increase in their decision-making authority since receiving CESO’s assistance. At the Communitarian
Association Yarumo Blanco, responsibilities have changed, and more women are doing operational work in
different areas of the Association while two women lead the administrative areas of the Association.
At Cagayan State University’s Sanchez-Mira and Piat campuses, women who participated in CESO delivered
assignments indicated that they are more actively participating in decision-making and the development of their
campuses through initiatives such as establishing sustainable tourism. Ms. Joselina A. Azucena of CSU-Piat said,
“Women are given greater opportunities to decide and to give their opinion in the workplace.” Other partner
beneficiaries gained different perspectives and knowledge, which have helped them develop project goals and
increase their decision-making authority.
Increased Access to New Clients or Markets
Through CESO assignments, 40% of female respondents increased their access to new clients or markets,
therefore increasing their economic power. Staff at the Society of Beautification and Improvements of Charala
gained knowledge on alternative ways to promote sustainable tourism, which they used to start promotion through
Village Monde, an alternative tourism platform. They also created cultural tourism activities. These initiatives have
brought new markets and clients, and strengthened sustainable tourism in the area. For example, the creation of
the Ruta del Tiple inaugural concert brought tourists from other areas to the municipality, and publicity from the
Village Monde alternative tourism platform helped showcase the municipality to a wider international market.
In Peru, Expediciones Gallito de la Rocas refined their best market fit and promotional initiatives to focus on
their target market: independent travellers. These initiatives, along with continuous development of new services
to better serve clients, have helped increase their number of customers.
Increased Income or Revenue
26% of female respondents stated that they have increased their income or revenue because of CESO
assistance. For women-led ATRP member Refugio de Santiago eco-lodge, using social media, as well as
market segmentation to better target clients, has resulted in business growth. In fact, applying the knowledge
gained during CESO assignments led to increased income. They then reinvested the proceeds by building a new
restaurant within the premises. Moreover, the enhanced knowledge of their target market and use of social media
resulted in business growth. According to administrator Ms. Silvana Rantica, "The result of the new knowledge
was increase of sales, which allowed me to have a greater economic income, generating certain tranquility and
stability."
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Pictures 7 & 8 – New indoor dining room and kitchen at Refugio de Santiago, Lunahuaná, Peru
Expediciones Gallito de las Rocas, another women-led business promoting sustainable tourism in rural Peru,
benefitted from assistance in target marketing, cost analysis, and website translation. The enhanced knowledge
and support have led to targeting specific markets, enhancing promotion, bringing international standards to their
clients’ services, and improving pricing strategies. "We know how to make more accurate decisions, we give more
value to our work and that is reflected in our clients’ assessments..." said Ms. Gloria Sonia Jilahuanco
Humansulca, who is responsible for sales. These initiatives increased the number of clients, resulting in increased
sales, hiring of four new employees, and an overall increase in staff wages.
Lorena Duque Gómez of Zafra Natural Reserrve, a member of CESO partner San Rafael Tourism Network
indicates, "So far the effort of the organization has allowed us to improve the quality of services, and in this way
the income.”. In the town of Pijao in Colombia, CESO assistance to Fundacion Pijao Cittaslow has contributed
to increased income for women working in coffee farming and waste recycling.
Picture 9 - CESO Advisor, third from left, along with coffee producers from the association Paisaje,
Mujer y Café (Landscape, Women and Coffee) supported by the Fundacion Pijao Cittaslow, Colombia
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Overall CESO Contribution to GE and WEE
Overall, 53% of the 17 respondents (one did not answer
this question) stated that CESO significantly contributed to
the economic empowerment of women within their
organizations.
Obstacles to GE and WEE
The questionnaire also asked beneficiaries what they deemed to be obstacles to women’s economic
empowerment. Regarding this, the main themes identified were socio-cultural stereotyping and machismo faced
by women. For instance, the President of the Society of the Beautification and Improvement of Charala
stated, “Cultural obstacles, which still limit the participation of women and their leading role as leader of
productive processes, lack of knowledge or skills for the development of commercial activities, some productive
processes can be presented in a way that cannot be balanced with household activities and childcare.” A male
respondent from Cagayan State University also echoed these challenges indicating discrimination towards
women in opportunities, education, employment, and authority or power as hindrances to promotion of GE and
WEE.
5- LESSONS LEARNED AND NEXT STEPS
While this case study illustrates many positive outcomes from CESO’s assistance in the sustainable tourism
sector, CESO continues to seek to improve its projects. The activities to support GE and WEE within sustainable
tourism through partners yielded lessons which could serve to facilitate future assignments.
o While in most assignments, it is CESO Advisors providing assistance to partners, reverse assignments
can also be helpful for partners. ATRP member, Delia Velarde Buraschi of Hacienda Santa Marta’s
participation in a tourism exposition event in Canada served as inspiration for the creation of Ecoturismo
Peru, a partnership with other actors in sustainable tourism. In the future, it could be interesting to explore
the possibility of carrying out more exchange sessions, which could follow a South-North or South-South
model.
o There is strength in numbers, as members of the Society of the Beautification of Charala have
experienced. Moving towards the same goal, as a group, prevents isolated actions while helping in the
development of ideas and sharing of resources. Promoting linkages among actors in sustainable tourism,
especially women-run businesses and organizations, could also be reinforced.
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o Respondents indicated socio-cultural stereotypes and machismo as the most common obstacles to
women's economic empowerment. Perhaps future assistance could include workshops for men and
women to help bring more awareness to the positive impacts of GE and WEE on a community's social
and economic well-being.
o The assignment with Fundacion Pijao Cittaslow in which a CESO Advisor created teaching material
based on the 3Rs was an innovative approach that generated a lot of enthusiasm from the community.
Involving the wider community, especially the youth, sensitized them on shared responsibility and
empowered them to protect the environment. To reach a wider audience, future assignments could
include the development of school curriculum or training modules with a focus on environmental
sustainability concepts.
o While it is important to enhance skills in marketing, operations, and financial and organizational
management, partners mentioned that their lack of ability to communicate in English was preventing them
from further developing their international reach and growth. CESO could consider helping partner
members improve their knowledge of the English language, for example, by creating linkages between
language institutions and partners working in tourism.
6- CONCLUSION
In Asia and Latin America, where tourism is constantly expanding, making global tourism more sustainable is a
growing necessity. Through a collaborative and partner driven approach, CESO provides support to organizations
based in developing countries who are dedicated to environmental protection and promoting women
empowerment. The main idea was to allow these regions to benefit economically from the tourism industry, while
minimizing the adverse effects on natural resources, infrastructure, mobility and congestion, as well as its socio-
cultural impact. The outcomes indicated throughout the case study show that CESO interventions had an overall
positive impact on organizations active in the promotion of sustainable tourism, as well as GE and WEE. CESO’s
focus was to merge assistance related to technical business management with the promotion of environmental
awareness and stewardship within partner organizations, while supporting the empowerment of women who
make up a large part of the sustainable tourism workforce.
From large educational institution such as Cagayan State University, to community organization such as the
Society of the Beautification of Charala, and family-owned business like Expediciones Gallito de las Rocas,
women have been empowered from technical, personal, and economic perspectives. However, machismo and
socio-cultural stereotypes the most common obstacles to GE and WEE. In fact, a male respondent stated that,
"Social stereotyping is the main reason that prevents women to be economically empowered. We have this notion
that women should only stay in the house, doing household chores and thus, give assistance to their spouse." In
addition, a female member of Society of Beautification and Improvements of Charala indicated, "In my opinion
in Charalá, a conservative and macho culture prevails in which women must ’obey‘ what a man says, either her
husband or siblings. This leads to insecurity in women's decisions." Achieving GE and WEE within sustainable
tourism is a work in progress and CESO is dedicated to pursuing the matter. Research shows that active
participation from all levels of society, from policy makers to the private sector to the general population, is
necessary to break socio-cultural stereotypes that hinder women's progress. Only then can GE and WEE be
achieved, not only in sustainable tourism, but in all industries and spheres.
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