Gendered Perceptions of Ecotourism Empowerment and Local Action in a Community-Based Context: Evidence from Abono in Lake Bosomtwe Biosphere Reserve, Ghana

Abstract

Ecotourism is recognized for its capacity to empower local communities and promote sustainable development, yielding positive environmental, social, and economic outcomes. In traditional societies, men and women encounter distinct opportunities and challenges that influence their participation in ecotourism. Despite increased attention to ecotourism's effects, there is limited studies investigating how these impacts shape gendered perceptions of empowerment. This study addresses this gap by analyzing gendered perceptions of ecotourism empowerment and their influence on local action and willingness to participate in such local action in the Abono community at Lake Bosomtwe, Ghana. The results show that both men and women highly value psychological and environmental empowerment, indicating a shared sense of confidence and environmental stewardship. While women prioritized social empowerment and men emphasized economic empowerment, these differences were not statistically significant. Both genders rated political and cultural empowerment lowest, suggesting that ecotourism has a limited impact on local governance and cultural identity. The lack of significant gender differences in empowerment components indicates that men and women in Abono benefit similarly from ecotourism. These findings highlight the potential of ecotourism to promote gender-equitable empowerment and emphasize the importance of inclusive policies in community-based tourism development.