22 Apr The Empowered Woman Defined
Women in the 21st Century
Do you agree with the statement below? Give it a simple yes or no. Don't overthink it. Read and respond honestly within yourself.
If we want to live in a world that is peaceful and prosperous then gender equity and equality is a must-have. It's a fundamental human right and while we have seen plenty of progress in the last several decades, there are still plenty of issues facing women in modern society.
There are pervasive and misperceived social norms that enforce certain gender stereotypes on female children, discriminatory laws are still being written, and women remain underrepresented at every level of leadership, whether it’s social, business, or political. Not to mention the very real risk of Intimate Partner Violence, with one in five girls and women aged 15 to 49 being a victim of sexual or physical violence.
Think about this: To define gender is to say it’s a social construct of responsibilities and roles that society deems appropriate and required for women and men. The definition of gender equity and equality, respectively, means: (1) Empowering women fairly and impartially in areas such as of personal development, health, education, and financial independence, and more. Equity is meeting women where they are and allocating resources and opportunities as needed. (2) Equality means ensuring that women are treated equally in terms of status, rights, and access to opportunities. Put simply, equity is recognizing differences in need and providing resources accordingly while equality means giving everyone the same exact resources regardless of need.
Let me remind you that gender equity and equality is everybody's issue, not just women.
An article from Harvard Business Review reminds us that gender equity is not zero sum. We all must willingly come to the table of conversation in the name of equity and equality.
On a global level, women have far fewer opportunities than men, with less access to education, higher risks of health and safety issues, and less representation across the board. So, even where countries are making strides, globally, women are not seeing the benefits of that progress. This is where empowerment comes into play because empowered women contribute to their family life, their communities, and their country causing a powerful ripple effect that benefits across the globe. We cannot achieve gender equity and equality without addressing women’s empowerment. Women’s empowerment is ensuring that women have a strong self of self-worth, improved access to resources and opportunities, are provided decision-making power, and have control over their own lives.
9 Key Traits of an Empowered Woman
All this talk of empowerment, but what does it look like? Every empowered woman is her own person, but there are certain characteristics that empowered women share.
(1) PURPOSEFUL LIVING. An empowered woman is a confident woman and she is here to live her purpose and positively impact those around her.
(2) SELF AWARENESS. A truly empowered woman is self-aware. It’s the foundation everyone needs to build confidence. They’re authentic and they show up every day.
(4) THE PURSUIT OF KNOWLEDGE. Empowered women know that every day is a school day. You don’t need a traditional learning environment to expand your knowledge.
(6) GENEROSITY. Empowered women want to empower other women by lifting them up and giving them the tools they need to succeed.
(7) UNAFRAID TO CHALLENGE. An empowered woman will question the norms that don’t give women space to speak, share, and create.
(8) UNAFRAID OF VULNERABILITY. Empowered women are unafraid of sharing themselves to build deeper relationships. She believes believe her life lessons can help others.
(9) SELF-WORTH. Empowered women know their worth – they know that they are more than enough. They recognize they deserve equal pay, growth opportunities, and a voice.
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