Women Empowerment; An Overview

This article highlight some key points regarding women empowerment.

EMPOWERMENT

Rahila Nizami

10/6/20243 min read

Women Empowerment; An Overview

Empowerment is the capability to have one’s own decisions and freedom of choices over their own lives.

So women empowerment is for women to decide for themselves, taking power and control over their lives and making strategic decisions for themselves. This is the way for status gain and enhancing an economic empowerment.

The outlook of women are much more better in developed countries than developing countries. Empowerment is also be elaborated as gaining full control and free decision concerning not only one's life but on body also. In this way women are able to go ahead in achieving valued or personally determined outcomes.

Three Areas for Women Empowerment

There are many dimension to list but we focus on the main three areas of women’s empowerment. First one is the believes system about violence, how women are perceiving that societal norms and personal views are influencing their sense of empowerment. Secondly, how much she is participating in decision making and having choices in healthcare, household expenditure, and social activities. Thirdly, women's control over sexuality and their bodies for health and safe sex practices.

Women's empowerment has emerged as a crucial and dynamic discourse in the Globe

This is the struggle for gender equality. Participation of women in the process of enabling women to exercise their full potential in all walk of life whether it is economic, social, political and personal aspects of life. In every era women faced multiple barriers in achieving equality which is deep rooted in cultural norms. Rigid and restricted legal structures and economic practices that marginalised the opportunities. Women must be empowered through not only having insights to gain their rights but they must transform power relations and influence in the areas of education, economics, healthcare and political scenario. Rewriting their roles in society. This lead towards improved health outcomes, economic growth and social stability. Women are often regarded as the invisible segment of the community and still making up a significant contribution to both families and societies. Along with they face different challenges also that hiders them to live up to their full potential. So, women empowerment leads women to fully realise their full potential and uplifting of themselves. They ultimately recognise their identity, strengthening and taking control of their lives. This is the best way to thrive in the society.

Different facets of Empowerment

There are different facet of empowerment like, economic, social and political empowerment.

Women can gain empowerment in all these areas by gaining decision making power, making some assets, social and political awareness. They form all this strength with the help of knowledge, contacts, training and positivity whether they are related to any profession or not. Their awareness to constraints and limitations in all these spheres enable them to be more empowered.

Economic Empowerment

This involves ensuring that women have equal access to economic resources, including land, capital, and job opportunities. It also entails enabling women to participate in income-generating activities and providing them with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in the workforce.

Social Empowerment

Social empowerment focuses on promoting gender equality and challenging traditional gender roles and stereotypes that limit women's opportunities and freedoms. It involves ensuring that women have access to education, healthcare, and social services, as well as the right to make decisions about their own lives and bodies.

Political Empowerment

Political empowerment entails increasing women's participation and representation in political processes and decision-making bodies at all levels of government. This includes advocating for policies and laws that promote gender equality and protect women's rights, as well as supporting women leaders and activists in their efforts to effect positive change.

Cultural Empowerment

Cultural empowerment involves challenging cultural norms, practices, and attitudes that discriminate against women and perpetuate gender-based violence and inequality. It entails promoting respect for women's rights and dignity, as well as celebrating and valuing women's contributions to society and culture.

Many other factors influence women empowerment, these are different according to the religion and culture of the society. Some of these factors are education, literacy, vocational training, age, freedom of mobility, media exposure, health, awareness of rights etc.