Hospitality Education as a Mechanism for Sustainable Women’s Empowerment in Egypt: An Empirical Investigation, Frank Naboulsi, Dr Soula Kyriakou, Selvi Win

Frank Naboulsi, Dr Soula Kyriakou and Selvi Thazin Win
International Executive School
Strasbourg
France

Purpose: This study examines how hospitality education functions as a mechanism for sustainable women's empowerment in Egypt, focusing on participants' lived experiences within a conservative cultural context.
Design/methodology/approach: Using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), the study explores the experiences of eight Egyptian women enrolled in hospitality education programmes. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews (60–90 minutes) using snowball sampling.
Findings: Three themes emerged: Reclaiming Agency Through Professional Identity, Navigating Cultural Boundaries: The Quiet Revolution, and Networks of Possibility. Participants employed culturally responsive strategies to gain confidence, reshape identities, and expand agency without rejecting social norms. The study introduces “contextual empowerment” and “strategic authenticity” to describe this process.
Originality/value: This research contributes to feminist empowerment theory by illustrating how professional development can foster empowerment through cultural accommodation. It offers a nuanced framework for designing context-sensitive empowerment interventions in similar conservative settings.
Keywords: Women's Empowerment, Hospitality, Education, Egypt, Cultural Context, Professional Identity, Contextual Empowerment.