The Importance of Women's Empowerment
In many places around the world, women are the heart of their community. Global research, statistics, and outcomes show that when you invest in women, you double your investment in families and communities.
When more women are empowered, economies grow, communities thrive and become a lot safer as a result.
But what is gender equality ?
On the surface, gender equality seems simple. It means having equal rights and opportunities.
However, it’s a complex issue. Gender inequalities are widespread and deeply rooted. The imbalance between genders affects almost all aspects of women’s lives. Gender equality is important not only because it’s a human right, but because it is essential for building peaceful and prosperous nations.
Making sure women and girls have equal access to quality education, healthcare, work opportunities, as well as political representation and participation in economic decision-making, is crucial to sustainable development and economic progress.
As women gain education and skills, they can access more opportunities, which eventually means household incomes increase, infant mortality rates go down, and children are able to stay in school longer. Our ultimate aim is to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty.
Taking steps to help empower women is a vital part of making sure gender equality is achieved worldwide.
Three good reasons why.
First, gender equality is a moral imperative whether you're in government, business, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) or research institutions – it's simply the 'right thing to do'.
Gender bias is still deeply embedded in cultures, economies, political and social institutions around the world. Women and girls face unacceptable levels of discrimination and abuse, which is not only wrong, but also prevents them from playing a full part in society and decision-making.
There has been some progress – such as IIED's own gender review and audit – but nowhere near enough. More organisations need to understand and address internal imbalances and proactively seek to do so in delivering their business. Barbara Stocking, former chief executive of Oxfam GB, writes in the book: "Leadership from the top is essential but the values of gender equality have to permeate the whole organisation."
Secondly, women are key managers of natural resources and powerful agents of change. For instance research shows that in ethnic communities such as Liberia and Somalia - women are often more directly dependent on natural resources, with responsibility for the unpaid work of securing food, water, fuel and shelter for their household.
Gender equality, is not only a human right - it’s also something that is good for the economy. It’s something that plays an important role in much of our society, especially within our communities. Unequal societies are less cohesive.
They have higher rates of anti-social behaviour and violence. Countries with greater gender equality are more connected. Their people are healthier and have better wellbeing.
Economic empowerment is central to women’s ability to overcome poverty, cope with shocks and improve their well-being. When women realise their economic goals, whether it’s growing a business, improving their home or investing in training or education, they’re more resilient and able to provide for themselves and their families.
Yet, globally, women continue to trail men in formal labor force participation, land and property ownership, and access to financial services, like credit and savings.
Women bring a different perspective
Women are more vulnerable to environmental degradation and climate change but also have different perspectives, concerns and ideas for change. Until these are taken on board, with women empowered to play a full part in decision-making at all levels, environmental sustainability will remain a distant goal.
Yet women's empowerment must not mean simply adding to their burdens of responsibilities or building expectations of women as 'sustainability saviours'.
The disproportionate responsibility that women bear for carrying out unpaid work is an important constraint on their capacity to realise their rights... Both women and men need time to care for their families and communities, and time free from such care.
Counting the invisible contribution
This leads us to the third reason for integrating women's empowerment into sustainable development, and it reaches deeper down to the underlying causes of both issues: in most societies and economies, women's unpaid work and nature's services are not accounted for and therefore not valued properly in our economic, political or social systems.
Many women have many similarities with nature - they are largely invisible in mainstream economics... One would search in vain in the core models of economics for any inkling of where the materials used in production came from, or where the waste goes... for a discussion of where people come from, or where they go when they are broken or used up. When considered at all, women and nature are treated as passive 'resources'.
Parallels between the treatment of women and nature are no coincidence, but have an ancient history in mythology and religion, with powerful concepts such as 'Mother Earth'. You argue that this encourages unhelpful perceptions of women and nature as endlessly (re)productive and nurturing.
As women, we must do more than to be assumed to possess an infinite capacity for self-maintenance and self-regeneration. In a world where we measure wellbeing and progress by the fiscal amount of money and economic growth, the goods and services that women and nature provide should not remain unaccounted for. Instead, we need a transformation in our economic thinking and new definitions of progress. Across politics, business and the media, we need to create a system based on different values, with equality and sustainability at its core.
What exactly does empowering women mean ?
Empowering women means equipping them with the tools they need to have power and control over their own lives. Empowered women have independence, equal opportunities, and the ability to make strategic choices in all areas of their lives.
Education is one of the most powerful means available for providing women with the knowledge, skills, and self-confidence they need to participate equally in society. Helping to provide ongoing educational support is an important part of gender equality initiatives. According to UNICEF (The United Nations Children’s Fund), educating women and girls can help to fight poverty and disease. Each extra year a girl stays in secondary school can boost her income potential by up to 25%. Eventually, helping to empower women through education could help eradicate income inequalities between genders.
To help empower women economically we must ensure work opportunities are available. The responsibilities for domestic or unpaid care work need to be shared, and any legal barriers that deny women the right to participate in public life must be removed. Finally, we need to raise awareness in communities through education and communication programs. These steps allow women to secure their own incomes.
Here are some of the ways we can empower women and girls in our communities…
Keep a Girl in School.
Education is crucial for empowering women, but there are still 31 million girls of primary school age out of school.
When we’re armed with knowledge, we can make a difference. Consider making a contribution to an organization that keeps girls in school, or find out what supplies a local school near you needs, and make a donation.
Become a mentor
Whether you find a mentorship program in your community or focus on inspiring your friends and sisters, being a mentor is a great way to inspire young women. Gather a group of gals and encourage them to participate in an empowerment activity.
Know your own worth.
Know your worth and make sure the women in your workplace know theirs. Be brave, and ask for what you deserve, future generations of working women will thank you.
Support women-run businesses.
Show your support for women in your community by investing in businesses run by women. Do you know an organisation or company where women hold the majority or all of the leadership roles? Consider investing, making a donation, or doing some shopping with them.
Tell the women in your life that you care.
Start right in your own home, workplace, and community by saying thank you, give and accept compliments, and help out the women around you. Write a note of thanks to that teacher, or someone who encouraged you years ago, pick up coffee for that new mom in your office who’s struggling to balance it all, or tell your own sister, daughter, or mother how much you appreciate them.
Boost her self-esteem
Encourage the women around you, and make them feel special and strong. Encourage your friends to speak up, make sure they know the value of their opinions so that they’re never scared to use their voice.
Do you have a daughter?
Celebrate her self-expression from a young age. Whether she loves to dress up in full princess attire, or she likes to keep a stylishly low profile, encourage her to be her authentic self. And fashion isn’t the only way assert her unique personality so support her interests wholeheartedly, whether she’s into sports, drama, or academics.
Shut down negativity.
Women are constantly exposed to negativity as they’re often held to unrealistic standards of beauty displayed in magazines, on TV, and on social media. Social media has opened the floor for many individuals to circulate negative comments about women’s appearances.
While our near-constant presence on the web has created a culture where women and men can more easily express themselves, negativity online has become a big problem, especially among teenagers. Lift women up by taking a stance against negative comments online, at the office, in school, and wherever you go. Combat negativity by promoting body positivity, intelligence, and authenticity.
Don’t be afraid to shut down negativity directly and honestly.
Be open and honest.
This one can be tricky because it’s not easy to be vulnerable. Sometimes it can be hard to share your experiences with others, but it can play an important role in giving other women a voice.
Without women like Rosa Parks, Malala Yousafzai, and Susan B. Anthony—among many others like them—women wouldn’t have the rights we have today. Thanks to these ladies speaking out and sharing their struggles, real changes have been made: legislation, societal expectations and even how women view themselves in the mirror each day. The world has been transformed by women who rose to the occasion to combat misogyny.
While it’s important to share your own story, it’s just as important to listen to other women’s stories and experiences. There are tons of great resources out there to read, listen, and share women’s narratives. Get to know these talented women, and share their inspiring stories with the men and women in your life.
Advocate for Female colleagues.
Women are still fighting daily for equal rights in the workplace even though more women are attending and graduating from college, and more women are in leadership roles than ever before. How can you help?
Be an advocate for your female colleagues. For example, if you see them experiencing unfair treatment in a meeting... say something.
Lead by example.
This is one of the most important ways you can empower women. Young women are deeply influenced by their role models, so make sure you’re a good one. Admire strong women, celebrate different types of beauty, empower women with kindness, and encourage women to make their aspirations a reality.
Final Thoughts..
Empowering women starts with you. Show your support for the women around you, show them they matter, and remind them they’re strong. Changing the narrative for women and seeing real change is a team effort, so share this list with the women in your life, and encourage them to take action!
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