Indicators of Women Empowerment
This article discusses the micro indicators of women's empowerment.
EMPOWERMENT
Rahila Nizami
10/31/20243 min read
Women can develop themselves through education because education is a very effective tool for women's empowerment. Researchers insisted that women should gain knowledge and experience to improve their performance. This will eventually increase their intrinsic motivation. Women must be in power and have an identity in all spheres of life. They must create autonomy within boundaries, replace hierarchy with self-managing teams, and share correct information. Commonly, empowerment is perceived as the ability to handle responsibilities, envision a better future, and work on obstacles that confront them.
Regardless of women's empowerment, the sense of empowerment increases the sense of ownership and responsibility. People who are empowered feel satisfied with their accomplishments and understand that they have control over what and how things are done. This further increases their importance for organizations, homes, communities, etc. It also enhances performance in all spheres of life. People who are empowered are more innovative, influential, and inspirational.
A study found that some micro indicators of women empowerment move women towards taking risks, initiatives, innovation, and accountability. This study discusses the micro indicators of women's empowerment: assertiveness, willingness to take risks, empathy, urgency, flexibility, and sociability. Women with strong people skills can read situations accurately and take information from all sides. This ability to see information from all sides enhances their persuasive ability.
Empowered women possess more vital interpersonal skills, such as empathy, flexibility, and sociability. This combination of traits helps women express a unique approach to dealing with disappointment, rejection, or situations that don't work out their way. These women show inclusiveness, a team-building leadership style, problem-solving skills, and decision-making abilities. They can sometimes ignore rules to take risks in certain conditions.
Women's empowerment has become a central issue for national and global developments, with many efforts to improve its effectiveness. Empowerment can be achieved through giving women tools to control their lives and join the community. Education, awareness, and skills can turn women's disempowerment into empowerment to gain control over their environments. It is the value of life that not only gains decision-making participation and economic independence but also true independence and safety in their whole life.
Many issues related to women's empowerment are awareness of rights, better living standards, equal control over productive resources, mother and child healthcare facilities, achievements in education of all levels, more recognized contributions to economic productivity, and realization of autonomy, self-assurance, and self-esteem. Lack of interest and motivation is also present in women's education. Women must develop positive standpoints and reanalyze their societal position to gain empowerment.
Issues related to the political empowerment of women include stereotypical image of women (domestic role), gender discrimination, illiteracy level, unawareness of political or civil rights, limited access to economic resources, and absence of female political networks. In addition, political parties are reluctant to trust female candidates, and there are so many external pressures for women to move up the political arena vertically. Many believe women should gain and use political consciousness and analyze their situation to achieve this standpoint. The world has shown that women can be enthusiastic leaders and ordinary women can be a part of politics.
Among the socio-cultural domains, another empowerment issue is violence against women. This violence affects them not only physically but also harms them psychologically, i.e., reduction in self-confidence. Socially, it harms them in the way that it lowers their womanhood and affects their thoughts, feelings, and actions in society.
The government focuses on enhancing inclusiveness and equitable opportunities for all women worldwide. Here are some factors of women's empowerment from a resource-based point of view. This is commonly referred to as structural empowerment, which provides women with the necessary resources, opportunities, and support to participate fully in their economic, social, and political lives.
Structural empowerment is a crucial tool for women's empowerment. It systematically facilitates women's access to essential resources, opportunities, and support, empowering them to engage in economic activities actively. Its leading four factors are access to information, resources, support from leaders and colleagues, and learning and growth opportunities.