Redefining Empowerment - Agency, Resources and Choice

What if true empowerment isn't about dramatic life changes or breaking free from tradition, but about making strategic choices within your own circumstances? In this thought-provoking episode, we challenge mainstream narratives about women's empowerment and explore how agency looks different across cultures, communities and contexts.

Paola Bórquez Arce shares insights from her groundbreaking research with women in rural Timor-Leste and her work with refugee communities in Australia, revealing how everyday resources can be an act of empowerment, and why we need to honour the quiet acts of agency that happen every day.

This Episode

Paola explores the complex reality of women's empowerment beyond Western frameworks. We discuss:

• How empowerment requires both agency and resources to make strategic choices
• Why women's decisions to invest in labour-saving appliances represents profound agency
• The importance of understanding what matters to each woman before judging her choices
• How time operates as a crucial resource in women's wellbeing decisions
• Why self-care isn't another task to add to our list—it's recognising what we already do

Quotable Moments

"We are already having acts of self-care. Otherwise we wouldn't be able to give so much. We have to have something in order to give." - Paola

"Whatever explains a woman's choice might not be the same explanation for the same behaviour of a different woman. There are many explanations for many types of behaviours." - Paola

Key Insights Explored

Empowerment as Agency + Resources Moving beyond individual choice to understanding the structural elements that enable women to act on their decisions.

Time as a Resource Examining how women across cultures use time strategically to create space for what matters most to them.

Diversity Within Diversity Challenging assumptions about women's choices and recognising the complexity behind every decision.

Self-Care Recognition Honouring the acts of care we already practice rather than adding more tasks to our daily lives.

Resources for Further Reflection

• Consider the economist Naila Kabeer's framework: empowerment = agency + resources to make strategic choices
• Reflect on your own assumptions about other women's choices
• Identify the acts of self-care you already practice but may not recognise as such

Connect With Our Guest

Paola Bórquez Arce is a creative changemaker dedicated to sparking grassroots action and engagement. She advocates for unconventional leaders and ‘black sheep’ voices, using her writing and public speaking to champion bottom-up approaches to systemic change.

She has recently lead two community-centred health initiatives:

· WeManage at the University of Western Australia’s School of Population and Global Health, which supports women in managing chronic disease risk.

· The Latin American Community Project at ASeTTS, the first health promotion program in WA tailored for Latin American humanitarian
entrants.

Paola is finalising a PhD in biological anthropology. Her
doctoral research examined how women’s empowerment affects child health
outcomes in rural Timor-Leste.

Connect With Us

• Follow She Speaks on Instagram: @shespeakswellbeingstrategies
• Visit our website: www.shespeakswellbeing.com

A Note on Wellbeing

She Speaks is dedicated to amplifying women's voices on self-care and wellbeing from diverse cultural perspectives. While we share research insights and personal experiences, please remember that this podcast is not a substitute for professional mental health