Posted on September 9th, 2022

Women empowerment isn’t a new term today but it was revolutionary a decade or two ago. The women’s movement has been instrumental in bringing about a lot of changes in society. Around the world, there exists massive disparity between men and women. The degree of disparity may differ from culture to culture but it’s there. The importance of women empowerment as a movement lies in the fact that it has been successful in reducing inequalities and making way for equity. Women have a lot of struggles that are different than the struggles of men, which is why they need to be empowered.

Some of the milestone moments in the women’s movement are when women were given voting rights, when maternity leave became a norm, when organizations started giving period leave, etc. These are just some of the moments that were witnessed by the world collectively, but there are a lot of other battles that women are fighting too. A lot of women in third-world countries have to work in unsanitary conditions, at extremely low wages in high-risk situations. A lot of women in Indian households aren’t able to go to work because of familial obligations. Women are often relegated to house chores and kitchen duties, which restricts them from utilizing their other skill sets.

The economic importance of women empowerment lies in giving women the choice to pursue their dreams so that they can become financially independent. Enabling women to use their talent to pursue professions of their choice is a step in the right direction. While this is a reality in a lot of European countries, a lot of Asian households still restrict women from going out of their homes to seek jobs. This is why we need to encourage women to become financially independent in other ways.

Women are an untapped resource in a lot of Asian countries, particularly in India. A lot of capable women aren’t allowed to move to other cities or go out of their homes for work. A lot of them aren’t even allowed to complete their education. This is where we miss out on a huge chunk of competent human resource. Thankfully, with technological changes and socio-cultural evolution, women’s education is increasing. Government programmes encouraging women’s education have also increased. But women’s employment remains a major issue that still needs a lot of attention.

In the past couple of years, the work from home trend has gained momentum. A lot of jobs that don’t require people to physically go to an office have come up and this is a convenient way of working. This is exceptionally beneficial for women who cannot go to an office or who live in smaller towns with less opportunities. They can work online and earn money from their homes. These jobs also provide a lot of flexibility, thus empowering women to earn at their convenience. 

There’s still a long way to go to ensure complete equality for women, but it’s important to take all the steps we can, in contributing to the movement.

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