Spiritual Grounds for Economic Growth: A Qualitative Exploration of Rural Indonesian Women’s Transformative Journeys Through Mosque-Led Empowerment Programs
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Abstract
This study explores the transformative experiences of rural Indonesian women who engage in mosque-led empowerment programs that combine spiritual guidance with economic development. Moving beyond traditional metrics of income generation, the research adopts an interpretative phenomenological approach to uncover how participants perceive and internalize empowerment in a faith-based setting. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with twelve housewives aged 30–55 years from three rural villages in North Sumatra, Indonesia, selected via purposive sampling. Interviews were conducted over a two-month period and complemented by participant observation during mosque-based activities.four dominant themes emerged: the mosque as a sanctuary for spiritual and economic rejuvenation, redefined concepts of womanhood, spiritual capital as a source of resilience, and collective sisterhood as a catalyst for empowerment. The findings reveal that these programs do more than provide entrepreneurial skills—they nurture a renewed sense of self, purpose, and social belonging grounded in Islamic values. The mosque, traditionally seen as a space for worship, is reimagined as a center for holistic personal transformation. This study enriches current development discourse by emphasizing the spiritual and emotional dimensions of empowerment often overlooked in conventional evaluations. It offers practical insights for designing culturally embedded development initiatives that prioritize lived experiences and spiritual integrity. The research also invites comparative exploration across other religious or cultural contexts, emphasizing the mosque’s potential as a site of inclusive and transformative community growth.
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