Supporting Women's Empowerment

Abstract

Women empowerment is much talked about an issue by academicians, political thinkers and social scientists as regards to concepts like gender equality, financial independence, social inclusion, power etc. However there is a dire need of conceptual clarity of the term empowerment. This can be done by delineating it with the above overlapping concepts and suggesting inclusive approach towards enabling women themselves to critically review their own situation and participate in creating and shaping the society as agents of change themselves. Women themselves need to define the term empowerment which cannot be defined in terms of specific activities or end results because it involves a process whereby women can freely analyze, develop and voice their needs and interests, without them being pre-defined, or imposed from above.

Masculinity Equality and Women?s Empowerment:

There could be statistical evidence indicating improvements in indicators of gender equality, but unless the intervening process involved women as agents of that change, one cannot term it as empowerment. Gender equality or equity indicates the degree of equivalence in life outcomes for women and men, recognizing their different needs and interests and requiring a redistribution of power and resources. The women needs to build the conceptual framework of power for her and only then the concept of women empowerment and equality would hold relevance.

This paper conceptualizes the issues of women empowerment through making her an agent of change for her own equivalence and studying the various domains where empowerment can be applied and discussed.

1. Economic participation

2. Economic opportunity

3. Political empowerment

4. Educational attainment

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...olitical participation, and with relatively equal educational and economic opportunity and participation. Yet, as this study indicates, other countries show wide variation, lagging far behind in particular areas, some across all five dimensions. Aside from this general conclusion, and broad country comparisons, the data we have presented here shed light on the disparities within countries, in some cases either confirming formation gathered in other ways, or, in others, countering prevailing assumptions. By identifying and quantifying the gender gap, we hope to provide policy-makers with a tool offering direction and focus for the work of significantly Improving the economic, political and social potential of all their citizens.In addition, we hope that this work provides the impetus for policy-makers to strengthen their commitment to the idea of women?s empowerment.