Empowerment and collective action: feminist solidarity through women’s entrepreneurship in Kyrgyzstan’s community-based tourism

Purpose: This study investigates the role of feminist solidarity in influencing women’s empowerment within Kyrgyzstan’s community-based tourism sector, exploring how traditional values intersect with feminist activism to create opportunities for socio-economic growth while highlighting the dynamic interactions that shape empowerment in this context. Design/methodology/approach: Using 32 in-depth interviews, this research applies a post-colonial feminist perspective to examine the complex dynamics of feminist solidarity among women entrepreneurs in Kyrgyzstan’s unique socio-cultural environment. Findings: Feminist solidarity is identified as a catalyst for socio-economic transformation and community empowerment, promoting economic opportunities, cultural preservation and knowledge-sharing across generations. The study introduces a spiral model of empowerment, illustrating the dynamic progression from individual empowerment to community solidarity, highlighting the evolving and interconnected nature of these processes. Research limitations/implications: The findings demonstrate that feminist solidarity drives socio-economic change in post-colonial contexts, offering opportunities for sustainable development and community empowerment. However, policymakers must approach leveraging feminist solidarity with caution, ensuring cultural sensitivity and avoiding oversimplified interventions. The community-based tourism sector illustrates that, when integrated thoughtfully, feminist solidarity can promote growth and cultural preservation, but only when aligned with local values and contexts. Originality/value: This study advances the understanding of feminist solidarity and empowerment by not only providing a contextual analysis within Kyrgyzstan’s community-based tourism sector but also offering insights into the broader processes and dynamics of solidarity and empowerment. It illustrates how these concepts evolve and interact, demonstrating their impact on collective action and socio-economic change in post-colonial settings, thus enriching the theoretical discourse on gender and entrepreneurship.