"I was struck by the realities of both challenges and hope within the development sector of women's empowerment in the indian context."
My captivation with issues of women's empowerment has both defined and articulated my course of study thus far at the University of Notre Dame. However, physically witnessing women's empowerment initiatives at work in Jodhpur, Rajasthan both solidified my belief in women's empowerment initiatives and raised further questions. Over the course of my nine week internship with the Foundation for Sustainable Development (FSD), I was struck by the realities of both challenges and hope inherent in women's empowerment programs. Placed by FSD to intern at a local micro finance institution, Aastha Credit Co-Operative Society Ltd., I quickly discovered the power and potential held by small-scale forms of economic empowerment. This serves as an account of both my experience in Jodhpur and a further exploration of questions and possible solutions concerning women's empowerment in northwestern India.