Between Emancipation and Domination? A Critical Analysis of Empowerment in a Women‐Only Development Program in Costa Rica's Coffee Sector

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ABSTRACT Female empowerment and its use in development contexts has histories in coloniality. Gender programs typically imply an individualistic, depoliticized concept. This article examines whether such initiatives can be supportive for empowerment. We apply an embedded qualitative case study of Bean Voyage's program to support female coffee producers in Costa Rica. Using a four‐dimensional concept of power (power within, power with, power to, power over), we analyze how participants at different empowerment stages engage with program opportunities and their perceived effects. Semi‐structured interviews were analyzed through a deductive–inductive approach to assess empowerment stages and related activities. Results indicate that empowerment is an intrinsic and collective process that must emancipate from external stimuli and extend beyond economic dimensions. The study concludes that recognizing empowerment as a situated, relational, and political process reframes dominant gender‐development paradigms and offers critical guidance for more context‐sensitive and transformative sustainable development practices.

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