Tornhill (Linnaeus Univ., Sweden) discusses the case for women’s empowerment in business through a detailed look at Coca-Cola’s global 5by20 program, which aims to economically empower millions of women. Through the program, approximately five million women small-business owners across many countries receive business skills training, loan access, financial services, and mentoring to help produce agricultural ingredients, distribute the bottler’s beverages to retailers, or sell Coca-Cola products by 2020. Tornhill focuses specifically on 5by20’s efforts in Mexico and South Africa through interviews with participants and ethnographic, corporate social responsibility, and feminist research. However, the unique social, political, and economic obstacles women face in the two countries make it difficult to directly compare their experiences, so each discussion is quite different. Chapters detail the diverse outcomes of the program and how it primarily serves Coca-Cola’s business interests and branding, while relying on self-help psychology to help female entrepreneurs overcome the ravages of poverty. . . Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates, graduate students, and professionals.
