Different Concepts related to Women's Education and Empowerment

Different Concepts Related to Women's Education and Empowerment

Bridging the Digital Gender Gap for Women's Empowerment

To empower women, it is essential to ensure equal access to technological advancements and the digital economy. This involves creating opportunities for women to benefit from technological progress. Women's empowerment can be conceptualized as altering power dynamics to build self-confidence and capabilities. By doing so, women gain greater control over their lives, access and manage resources more effectively, and voice their needs and concerns in ways that challenge inequitable social norms and structures.

When women bridge the digital gender gap, they experience enhanced self-esteem and confidence, which motivates them to engage in business activities. They become active participants and agents of change, earning respect within their households and communities. This empowerment fosters dignity and the ability to contribute meaningfully to society.

Difference Between Women's Empowerment and Disempowerment

Economic Empowerment

Empowered women increase their income and access training, information, and productive resources. They enhance their bargaining power and influence household decisions. In this context, men also play a supportive role by making joint decisions with women and allowing shared control of income. Conversely, disempowered women face financial dependence, barriers to training and resources, and limited decision-making power within their households.

Social Empowerment

Empowered women receive societal recognition and respect. They enjoy better access to education and healthcare services, and community norms support their involvement in economic activities. Men's adoption of new gender roles—including sharing household chores such as childcare, cooking, and cleaning—plays a critical role in this transformation. Empowered women are free from the risks of violence and overburdening due to economic engagement. On the other hand, disempowered women are subjected to discriminatory practices, increased violence from earning income, and the heavy burden of balancing household and economic responsibilities.

Political Empowerment

Empowered women actively participate in public discussions and hold positions in decision-making bodies. Men support and respect their involvement in political and community leadership roles. However, disempowered women are often excluded from these spaces, with men dominating community meetings and leadership roles.

The Relational Aspect of Empowerment

Empowerment is fundamentally relational, shaped, and experienced through relationships with others (Huis et al., 2017; Lombardini et al., 2017; Rowlands, 1997). Galiè and Farnworth (2019) introduce the concept of 'power through' to highlight the involuntary aspects of empowerment and disempowerment. They argue that individuals' empowerment is not confined to themselves but is influenced by their relationships within households, communities, and interactions with businesses and local authorities.

Women's empowerment or disempowerment often depends on the power dynamics in their relationships. Development programs frequently fail to address these relational dimensions, as noted by McKinnon et al. (2016). The burden of change is often placed solely on women, overlooking the need for integrated, collective transformation within households and communities. For example, donor-driven initiatives connecting women to commercial value chains may not succeed without concurrent shifts in power dynamics between men and women within households and broader community networks.

True empowerment requires a holistic approach that addresses systemic inequities, and fosters shared responsibility for change.