Women Empowerment
Women empowerment is understood as a very narrow term in today’s world. Women’s empowerment should focus on the holistic manifestation of womanhood and the feminine. Such a social order should be based on the principles of love, compassion, nurturing and with a purpose of unifying the forces of nature.
Today’s structures are still patriarchal in nature which is based on power and control. In this kind of setup there is a visible or invisible glass ceiling for women. The more the woman becomes economically empowered, the more progressive she becomes in other spheres of life. Economic empowerment of women is the first step towards this direction.
The literacy rate among the women living in rural areas of India is just 31%. Education is the best thing that can help in empowering the women. Plan to Empower has started a program to empower the women of rural and urban slums of India who will be able to support themselves and their families financially and provide basic healthcare.
There should be no discrimination between men and woman. Women should have total independences of their own life and lifestyle inside the home and also outside at their work. They should not be discriminated while providing any type of education or provide any kind of support to help them reach their goals.
Nigeria is Africa’s most populous, as well as most densely populated nation. 60,000 Nigerian women are dying annually due to pregnancy and child-birth related complications. 600,000 women die in the world annually and Nigeria accounts for 10% of this figure.
Over 640 million of the women in the world are illiterates (UN Secretary General). 121 million children are not in school, most of them are girls. Women’s rights and access to land, credit and education are limited because of their work load, mobility and low bargaining positions.
In Nigeria, most of the small-scale farming enterprises are owned by men. Statistics show that women are poorer than men. Women are poorer because they are more vulnerable economically. The UNDP (2008) estimated that about 70% of the world-poor are women. A study shows the impact women can have on the overall economic benefits of a company. Fortune 500 companies with more women board directors had significantly higher financial returns. Inclusion of women in the formal workforce (like a fortune 500 company) can increase the economic output of a nation.
Poverty reduction is not the beginning and the end of women empowerment in world. We need to acknowledge that it is just one of the major goals. The real question is whether women empowerment has been able to change the authoritarian structures behind the social norms, institutions and relationships. Women empowerment in world needs to expand into the consciousness of women and awaken the power within each and every woman. Awakening this power should not be for just making money or gaining limited power. It should act as a catalyst for creative and generative change in all spheres of life. Information about celebrity’s women empowerment.
Women empowerment in world should be considered as an ongoing journey rather than a destination to reach. We need to leave the typical baggage, assumptions and stereotypes that are currently followed. One-size-fits-all interventions should be avoided – different countries have different needs and issues to be addressed.
Gender inequality is a big impediment in the way of women empowerment around the world. Grass root activism can help in redressing gender inequalities, elimination of harmful practices and attitudes. Campaigns should also address changes that are required to lessen the burden of women’s issues.
We can influence the larger systems and structures to respond to the need for social, cultural and legal changes by creating sufficient force and momentum from the grass root levels. Grass root campaign can take up issues such as taking up services for women victims of violence, sexual and reproductive rights and human trafficking.
Women empowerment is distinct aim as we are still struggling with gender based discrimination, inequality and lack of fairness for women in every sphere of life. Need of the hour is to understand the practical realities of discrimination and inequality and then keep that as the basis develop social policies for affirmative action. The role of the state in the empowerment of women is far less than satisfactory. The only way to galvanize the state is to start from the ground level and then move upwards. Creating a mass movement can help us to shake the system and make it more responsive to change.
Men and women enjoy equal opportunities for achieving internationally agreed goals of development. Women are doctors, engineers, scientists thereby playing a major role in the society. They also enjoy the freedom of speech and expression without any restriction. Most of the countries allow for a strong legal infrastructure which encourages for the empowerment of the women.
