Empowerment is the busiest buzzword nowadays. Everyone seems to use it at the slightest chance to establish their rights and justify their freedom. And when the word ‘women’ is attached to the same, it gets all the more tangled and misinterpreted.
But women empowerment is a beautiful concept with an even more beautiful meaning.
Women empowerment goes beyond the cries for rights and freedom. It is not to say that those aren’t important, but to understand what it means for real. It is not limited to social media posts that challenge the opposite sex in seemingly impossible tasks, and nor is it a trophy to be handed over to the female population. Empowerment doesn’t stand for breaking the rules, but for creating new ones that benefit everyone. It has more creative power than destructive and helps women contribute to the economic growth of the nation.
Who is an empowered woman?
An empowered woman understands her true potential to achieve whatever she desires in life. It helps make her self-sufficient financially, socially and emotionally. Once she understands the true meaning of the concept of empowerment, no longer will she need to derive her rights from society. She will earn her stand with her talent, dedication and intelligence eventually.
In the UK, women empowerment is regarded as one of the first steps to achieve gender equality. But empowerment doesn’t stand for equality ONLY. It is also a way to encourage sustainable development and create social balance. Once more women start entering the business sector, politics, and law-making processes, the sustainability movement will gain momentum. Women will add more empathy and emotions to the decisions that will shape the future. Hence, empowering women will not only help them but society at large.
Some unique ways to empower women
In the present day, only a few women are unaware of the benefits of empowerment. But it is we, and our reactions to their actions and decisions that act as hindrances in their path. What we can do is, give them complete freedom to take part in various activities that ultimately benefit the society and environment. Scroll on to know how to do that.
Acknowledge their varied responsibilities
There is no reason to believe that a woman cannot balance her career and family during the maternity phase. Employers should realise and acknowledge the same. While maternity benefits seem to be enough, they are only a part of the empowering process. They need the support of their employers, supervisors and colleagues, besides family members, to impart their duties seamlessly. Going the extra mile to make them feel at ease is the first step. One should shed the skin of a businessman/woman and think like a human. Make them feel that they are not alone and try to keep that smile on their faces always.
Accepting their leadership
Participation of women in politics can take the nation, its social and economic development to the next level. Wales achieved success in this front in 2003 with 50% of women in the assembly, but could not maintain it for long. The somewhat culturally hostile and male-dominated political sector should open up more to women and their capacity to run the country. Building technology platforms, amplifying the voice of women and making advances in leadership positions will bring about a positive change.
Creating business opportunities
Both politics and business go hand in hand to improve the economy of a nation. Equal participation of women in business leadership will help them embark on the path towards empowerment. Economic equality can be achieved by creating more opportunities for women, accepting their views and listening to them. Sustainable development not only depends on environment preservation but also embracing equality in all spheres. If given the chance, women can move mountains to reduce pollution and all that endangers life at large. We have all seen how the Swedish environmentalist Greta Thunberg created an impact with her voice. We have to decide if we need more women like her to take the sustainability movement to the next level.
Wrapping it up
Take small steps at a time. Let us begin by accepting that women can contribute equally to the welfare of the nation. When it comes to women empowerment, the UK has indeed made significant improvements in economic, academic and social spheres. But it still needs progress a lot to achieve gender equality and economic sustainability. Planned actions need to be taken at both national and international levels by joining hands with the governments of other nations. Rights (in the truest sense) should be levelled up, and businesses should encourage their women workforce to rise and shine. We are probably seeing the worst of our days, with the pandemic creating a ravage in the world. But we should make the most of the situation to break conventions and build a newer world with newer beliefs, more freedom, and a better society that does not differentiate.