This study explores the eye health needs, lived experiences, and perspectives of older Zanzibari craftswomen in relation to vision, work, and empowerment. Using participatory workshops and qualitative methods, the research developed a theory of change map outlining how improved eye health may influence economic participation, confidence, social inclusion, and wellbeing among older women. The findings informed the design of a women-targeted eye care and empowerment programme that is grounded in local realities, community voices, and the social context of ageing and gender in Zanzibar.

This cross-sectional study examined the prevalence of refractive error, unmet eye care needs, and attitudes towards spectacle wearing among older craftswomen in Zanzibar. The findings revealed a high burden of uncorrected presbyopia and limited access to affordable and acceptable eye care services, despite participants relying heavily on near vision for craftwork and income generation. The study highlights the importance of designing women-targeted eye care services that are culturally appropriate, accessible, and responsive to the realities of older women’s lives in low-resource settings.

This qualitative study explores how older Zanzibari craftswomen perceive the impact of near-vision spectacle correction on their daily lives and sense of empowerment. Participants described improvements in their ability to perform detailed craftwork, generate income, maintain independence, and participate more confidently in social and economic activities. The findings suggest that a simple pair of reading spectacles may have effects that extend far beyond vision correction, influencing dignity, self-worth, and women’s roles within their families and communities.

This participatory action research study compares electronic and paper-based data collection methods during health research fieldwork in Zanzibar. The study explored the experiences and perspectives of fieldworkers and researchers, examining issues such as efficiency, data quality, usability, training needs, and logistical challenges. The findings highlight the potential advantages of electronic data collection in low-resource settings, while also emphasising the importance of local context, infrastructure, and user confidence when implementing digital research tools.

Subjective Wellbeing, Work Performance and Lived Experience of Zanzibari Women Entrepreneurs with Uncorrected Functional Presbyopia: A Pre-Post Mixed-Methods Study

This before-and-after mixed-methods study explored whether correcting near vision impairment could influence empowerment among older Zanzibari craftswomen. Following spectacle correction, participants reported improvements in craft productivity, income-generating activities, confidence, social participation, and independence in daily life. The study highlights how a simple eye health intervention may contribute to broader dimensions of empowerment and wellbeing among older women in low-resource settings.

This narrative study explores how presbyopia correction influences psychological empowerment among older women and men in Zanzibar. Participants described changes in confidence, self-esteem, independence, motivation, and their sense of value within family and community life following near vision correction. The findings demonstrate that the benefits of presbyopia services extend beyond functional vision, highlighting the emotional and psychosocial importance of accessible eye care in later life.

This participatory action research study explores the lived experiences of Zanzibari craftswomen following eyeglass use, focusing on how improved near vision influenced their work, businesses, and everyday lives. Using solicited diaries and listening workshops, participants reflected on challenges related to productivity, ageing, financial pressures, customer expectations, and sustaining small businesses within changing social and economic environments. The study highlights the value of participatory and narrative-based approaches in understanding how eye health interventions interact with women’s economic resilience, agency, and problem-solving strategies.

This study evaluates the changes in subjective wellbeing following a woman-targeted presbyopia correction programme among older craftswomen in Zanzibar and examines the associated programme costs. The analysis combines wellbeing outcomes with cost and scenario modelling to explore the potential value and scalability of targeted presbyopia services in low-resource settings. The findings suggest that relatively low-cost near vision interventions may generate meaningful improvements in wellbeing, productivity, and daily functioning among older women.

The study examined global evidence on gender disparities in access to refractive error services through a systematic review and meta-analysis of published literature from low-, middle-, and high-income settings. The findings showed that women consistently experienced lower access to refractive error correction and spectacle services compared with men, despite often carrying a higher burden of visual impairment. The review highlighted how financial barriers, limited mobility, sociocultural norms, lower health literacy, and gendered power dynamics contribute to inequitable access to eye care services. We argue that refractive error programmes and policies must adopt gender-responsive approaches to ensure equitable access to vision care and reduce avoidable vision impairment among women globally.

We argue that uncorrected presbyopia among older women in low- and middle-income countries is not merely a vision problem, but a neglected issue linked to gender inequality, economic exclusion, reduced wellbeing, and limited participation in lifelong learning. Drawing on evidence from global eye health, education, and women’s empowerment research, the paper highlights how older women are frequently overlooked within health systems and development agendas despite remaining economically and socially active. The perspective proposes that presbyopia correction, particularly through affordable near-vision spectacles, represents one of the safest, cheapest, and most scalable interventions for improving older women’s productivity, confidence, independence, and social participation. It further calls for integrated women-targeted programmes that combine eye health services with adult education, livelihood support, and gender-responsive policies to promote healthy ageing and empowerment.

In this scoping review, we examined how women’s capacity-building initiatives in low- and middle-income countries are designed, implemented, and sustained across diverse health, education, and economic contexts. We identified that while many programmes aim to improve women’s skills, confidence, and economic participation, relatively few address the broader structural and sociocultural barriers that limit long-term empowerment and sustainability. The review highlighted recurring challenges including limited funding continuity, weak community engagement, inadequate monitoring systems, gender norms, and poor integration with local policies and support structures. We argue that future capacity-building initiatives should adopt more context-sensitive, participatory, and systems-oriented approaches that move beyond short-term training towards sustainable empowerment and social change.

In this scoping review, we examined how women’s empowerment has been conceptualised, theorised, and measured within capacity-building interventions conducted in low- and middle-income countries. We found substantial variation in the definitions and frameworks used across studies, with many interventions measuring empowerment through narrow economic or participation indicators while paying limited attention to relational, social, and contextual dimensions of agency. The review also identified inconsistencies in the use of validated measurement tools and highlighted a lack of longitudinal approaches capable of capturing how empowerment evolves over time. We argue that future interventions and evaluations should adopt clearer theoretical foundations and more comprehensive, context-sensitive measures to better understand the complex and dynamic nature of women’s empowerment.