Who is a “real woman”? Empowerment and the discourse of respectability in Namibia's Zambezi region

摘要: Synopsis The third Millennium Development Goal expresses a commitment to promoting gender equality and women's empowerment. We use respectability discourse as lens for understanding constraints opportunities A case study of Kwandu Conservancy, located in Namibia's Zambezi region, generated 49 interviews with women. also collected data through participant observation, document review, twenty key informant interviews. Our analysis revealed that “real woman” construct embodies feminine Kwandu. While the reinforces woman's power provide livelihood educational achievement, hard work, collaboration supportive community members, spouses, children, its narrow definition disempowers. Fear losing respect access resources restrict strategic choices like choosing divorce or remain single, saving rather than sharing resources, valuing pursuing informal knowledge, directly challenging limitations, uncertainties, inequalities can deter women from achieving ‘better life’.