The Importance Of Women's Empowerment

The Importance of Women’s Empowerment

            What is empowerment? According to Oxford University Press, empowerment is defined as either “Authority or power given to someone to do something” or “The process of becoming stronger and more confident, especially in controlling one’s life and claiming one’s rights.” So what does this mean for women’s empowerment exactly?

            To me, women’s empowerment is the ability to do something that inspires other women and helps them reach their own goals, dreams and successes.  While we have had many great examples of women who embody that empowerment in the past, such as Amelia Earhart, Marie Curie, Benazir Bhutto, Hedy Lamarr and Maya Angelou, any woman can be an advocate for women’s empowerment. Even women of the present like Malala Yousafzai, Bethany Hamilton, J.K. Rowling, Laura Bush and Mary Lou Retton have all inspired young girls and women to accomplish their dreams by sharing stories and messages of how they’ve personally accomplished their own.

Women’s empowerment can be found through any woman, whether she’s a marine biologist, engineer, chiropractor, lawyer, real estate agent etc. It doesn’t matter her profession because if she is inspiring others through her chosen career and pioneering the way for future women in her job field, then she is an advocate for women empowerment because she shows through her day to day life that she can balance between her job and her personal life. She can work eight to ten hours a day and still find the time to handle her bills, take care of her children (if she has any), shop for groceries, workout at the gym etc.

I personally believe women’s empowerment is important because future generations should know that they can accomplish anything they set their mind to and that they should never allow anything to hold them back, even their gender. If a little girl dreams of someday being an archaeologist, she should never be told that she can’t do it just because she is a female. Instead, she should be encouraged to go for her dream with positive words of support. By encouraging young women and little girls to go for their goals in life, we are changing the way this world thinks of women in male-dominated career fields.

Additionally, by supporting each other as women in any respective occupational field, we open many doors of possibilities, by being positive role models for future female figures and leaders in those careers.  We should never degrade or put down each other as women for any reason. Not only does it mess with a woman’s confidence and self-esteem which can affect her in many hurtful ways, from her career, education, physical appearance etc., but what does it tell little girls and young ladies growing up that look to us adult women as inspiration? It tells them that it is ok to hurt others for what we believe to be flaws instead of respecting and uplifting others for their successes and positive attributes.

So in conclusion, I challenge the women of today to rise up together and be the role models that the female youth of today constantly need. Be the strong mothers who help their children to succeed. Be the bold leaders in your chosen professions that these girls can look up and aspire to be like. Simply put, take the advice of Mahatma Gandhi and “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”