Tourism and female empowerment:

A case study in the  Soconusco region of Chiapas

Abstract

This article examines the factors that enable the empowerment of women in the ecotourism project Pa’Kál Tsik A, located in the ejido (communal land) of El Águila, in the municipality of Cacahoatán, Chiapas. The analysis is framed within the broader issue of women’s unequal participation in the rural tourism sector, where their roles have traditionally been limited to operational tasks that replicate domestic functions. The research identifies three key factors that have contributed to the development of new female leadership: (1) a reconfiguration of women’s work in the region, (2) intra-community generational shifts with new perspectives on gender roles, and (3) the new labor conditions created by the tourism project in which women participate. These factors are reflected in significant perceptual changes among women regarding their community and labor involvement in tourism, demonstrating a process of identity reconfiguration and progressive empowerment. The study is based on a qualitative methodology, including structured and semi-structured interviews with women and men from the community, as well as operational staff at the ecotourism center. Fieldwork data was supplemented with primary and secondary documentary sources.