Cultivating Empowerment Through Backyard Gardening Among Women in Low Income Urban Communities
Esa H Jumlail Jr
ABSTRACT
Women’s empowerment remains a critical concern in low-income urban communities, where limited access to livelihood opportunities and food security challenges persist. This study examines backyard gardening as a community-based strategy for empowering women through sustainable food production, psychosocial well-being, and social engagement. Using a qualitative case study approach, data were drawn from home visitation narratives and field observations of a female beneficiary engaged in backyard vegetable gardening in an urban barangay. The case focused on gardening practices, economic contributions, emotional benefits, and community interactions arising from the initiative. Findings reveal that backyard gardening provided multiple empowerment outcomes. Economically, the activity supplemented household needs through small-scale sales of vegetables. Psychosocially, gardening served as a therapeutic and stress-relieving practice that enhanced emotional well- being. Socially, the deliberate placement of edible plants in accessible spaces encouraged sharing, strengthened community trust, and promoted social responsibility. Environmentally, the practice supported organic food production and local ecological awareness. The study concludes that women-led backyard gardening is an effective, low-cost intervention that promotes holistic empowerment by integrating livelihood support, mental well-being, community cohesion, and environmental sustainability. These findings underscore the relevance of backyard gardening as a gender-responsive social development strategy that can be strengthened and replicated in similar urban communities to enhance women’s agency and resilience
