There is a multitude of educational programs meant to empower young females across the globe. However, the supposed universality of the concept of empowerment found in many educational programs is problematic, particularly in the context of Morocco where this study takes place. The goal of this study was to explore young women’s perceptions of their empowerment and the opportunity structures in their society; and to understand alternative conceptions of empowerment among a group that would traditionally be thought of as experiencing a lack of empowerment. Women are often portrayed as having a universal experience when it comes to empowerment; however this is not always the case which robs non-Western women of their historical and political agency (Mohanty, 1988). Much of the current research is characterized by Western paradigms of secularism and capitalism, without giving voice to alternative conceptions of empowerment and equality across societies characterized by complex gender relations. Additionally, much of the work on women’s’ empowerment is premised on how gender relationships should be and are prescriptive in nature (Kabeer, 1999). In order to accomplish the goals of this study, the researcher implemented an educational program over four months meant to increase life skills and empowerment with 40 female participants between the ages of 15 and 17 from rural villages in northern Morocco. Participants were selected by educators at their school based on need; all participants were low-income, on government scholarships to attend high school, and came from marginalized rural villages. A participatory approach was used which seeks to reduce the power relations normally involved in research and development (Kesby, 2005). Some argue that participatory development and research approaches are key to empowering marginalized groups while others argue that participation is just one more way that the development industry disempowers local populations. The debate over the utility of participatory development is a central issue in this research as the researcher explored the experience of participatory methods in relation to empowerment. Qualitative data was collected over the course of the program including focus group interviews, community mapping, and researcher fieldnotes. Early results illustrate that youth participation in development work faces many barriers in Morocco, but also that participants find value in this approach. Additionally, the participants’ conceptions of their own empowerment relate closely to the spatial and social constraints of living in a rural village and to the opportunity structures within their villages.