The Transformation of Gender Equality Toward Affirmative Economic Development in Tourism Villages in North Sumatra

Abstract

This study examines the transformation of gender equality toward affirmative economic development in tourism villages in North Sumatra, Indonesia. Grounded in a quantitative research design, the study investigates the structural relationships among gender equality, community participation, tourism village sustainability, and affirmative economic development using Structural Equation Modeling–Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS). Data were collected from 352 women engaged in Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) across three selected tourism villages: Bukit Lawang, Kampoeng Lama, and Hariara Pohan. The findings reveal that gender equality has a positive and significant direct effect on affirmative economic development, while community participation shows a negative direct effect. Tourism village sustainability emerges as a critical mediating variable, exerting a strong positive influence on affirmative economic development and significantly mediating the effects of both gender equality and community participation. The model demonstrates high explanatory power, indicating that the integration of gender equality and participatory approaches within sustainable tourism frameworks is essential for achieving inclusive economic outcomes. However, the presence of negative direct effects suggests the need for more structured and capacity-driven interventions to optimize community engagement and gender mainstreaming. This study contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence on the role of gender transformation in tourism-based local economic development and offers practical insights for policymakers in designing gender-responsive and sustainability-oriented development strategies.