EMPOWERING WOMEN

 What is women’s empowerment?

Women’s empowerment can be defined to promoting women’s sense of self-worth, their ability to determine their own choices, and their right to influence social change for themselves and others.

It is closely aligned with female empowerment – a fundamental human right that’s also key to achieving a more peaceful, prosperous world.

In Western countries, female empowerment is often associated with specific phases of the women’s rights movement in history. This movement tends to be split into three waves, the first beginning in the 19th and early 20th century where suffrage was a key feature. The second wave of the 1960s included the sexual revolution and the role of women in society. Third wave feminism is often seen as beginning in the 1990s.

Women’s empowerment and promoting women’s rights have emerged as a part of a major global movement and is continuing to break new ground in recent years. Days like International Women’s Empowerment Day are also gaining momentum.

But despite a great deal of progress, women and girls continue to face discrimination and violence in every part of the world.

The Women's Empowerment Principles

Created in a collaboration between the UN Global Compact and UN Women, the Women’s Empowerment Principles are used to empower women in the marketplace, workplace and community.

The seven Principles are:

Principle 1: Create high-level corporate leadership for gender equality

Principle 2: Treat all people fairly at work, respecting and supporting non-discrimination and human rights

Principle 3: Ensure the health, wellbeing and safety of all workers, whether male or female

Principle 4: Promote education, training and professional development for women

Principle 5: Implement supply chain, marketing practices and enterprise development that empower women

Principle 6: Champion equality through community initiatives and advocacy

Principle 7: Measure and report publicly on progress to create gender equality.

The global landscape of women's empowerment

Gender equality is a basic human right, and it is also fundamental to having a peaceful, prosperous world.

But girls and women continue to face significant challenges all around the world. Women are typically underrepresented in power and decision-making roles. They receive unequal pay for equal work, and they often face legal and other barriers that affect their opportunities at work.

In the developing world, girls and women are often seen as less valuable than boys. Instead of being sent to school, they are often made to do domestic work at home or are married off for a dowry before they are adults. As many as 12 million underage girls are married every year.

While some progress is being made in various parts of the world, there is still a great deal left to be done to right the problems of gender inequality.

Why is empowering girls and women so important?

Empowering women is essential to the health and social development of families, communities and countries.

When women are living safe, fulfilled and productive lives, they can reach their full potential. contributing their skills to the workforce and can raise happier and healthier children. They are also able to help fuel sustainable economies and benefit societies and humanity at large.

How can I empower women and girls?

Standing with and investing in women is an important start. From workplaces and schools to homes and communities, women

Gender equality underpins all of World Vision’s work – and there are many great activities you can get involved in to support the rights of women in developing countries.

Sponsor a girl: When you sponsor a girl, you can give her the tools to gain an education and take back the rights she deserves. This is a key way that girls can be empowered to grow up and influence their generation – and the next.

Educate yourself by finding out about issues that affect girls – for instance, child marriage.

Learn about what World Vision is doing to make change. Read more about our approach to helping girls escape gender inequality.

Buy women’s empowerment gifts. World Vision offers a variety of gifts that contribute to investing in and building up women and girls.

World Vision supports women and girls by:

Our sponsorship program. When you sponsor a girl, you not only help give a girl opportunities she may have been denied – but our community-focused approach means that her whole community benefits, too.

Helping girls and women learn advocacy skills at all stages of life so that they can use their voices effectively for their own rights

Partnering with communities, faith leaders and governments to challenge and correct harmful social norms that keep women and girls from their potential

Raising awareness around the causes of poor health and wellbeing that are related to gender

Empowering women and girls through water, sanitation and hygiene; health and nutrition; livelihoods training; and education programs to increase their opportunities and ability to reach their full potential.

Women achievers who changed the face of India

1. The Fiscal Scholar - Gita Gopinath

2. Dhing Express - Hima Das 

3. Ms. Knock-out - Mary Kom 

4. Sky Warrior - Avani Chaturvedi 

5. Biotech Pioneer - Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw 

6. Pepsi Queen - Indra Nooyi 

7. Tale of An Underdog- Richa Kar 

8. Monarch of Wellness - Vandana Luthra 

9. Age is Just a Number - Falguni Nayar 

10. Mother of Indian Venture Capitalism - Vani Kola

THANK-YOU