Empowerment for women can be achieved through various means. Providing access to quality education and raising awareness about women’s rights and gender equality can help women make informed choices and demand their rights.It means having the ability to make choices, having access to resources and opportunities, and having the freedom to live their lives with dignity and respect.

Supporting women-led initiatives and organizations can also help empower women. Providing resources and funding to organizations that work towards women’s empowerment can help amplify their voices and increase their impact.Men can play a crucial role in amplifying women’s voices and supporting their causes. They can use their privilege to challenge harmful gender norms and stereotypes and promote gender equality.

Providing spaces where women feel safe and supported can help them build connections and networks and pursue their goals without fear of discrimination or harassment.

Some statistics on women’s empowerment over the last five years , as follows :

Only 47% of women of working age participated in the labor market in 2020, compared to 74% of men.

– Women globally spend about three times as many hours on unpaid domestic and care work as men (4.2 hours compared to 1.7).

– Women held only 28% of managerial positions worldwide in 2019.

– Only 18% of enterprises surveyed had a female Chief Executive Officer in 2020.

– Women’s representation in parliament has more than doubled globally but has still not crossed the barrier of 25% of parliamentary seats.

– Women continue to be underrepresented in STEM fields, representing only slightly more than 35% of the world’s STEM graduates.

Here are some of the major achievements in gender equality in the past five years ¹ ²:

– Eight countries elected their first female Head of State or Government in 2021, including Barbados, Estonia, Moldova, Samoa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda and Honduras.

– Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of Nigeria became the first woman and first African to lead the World Trade Organization in 2021.

– Spain approved a bill in 2021 defining all non-consensual sex as rape.

– The Higher Islamic Council in Lebanon approved a Family Law amendment, including a chapter on the marriage of minors in 2021.

– Chile elected the world’s first gender-equal constitutional assembly in 2021.

– Nasdaq required companies to have at least one woman on their board of directors in 2021.

– The Tokyo 2020 Olympics had almost 49 per cent of participating athletes as women, making it the most gender-balanced Games in history.

In conclusion, empowerment for women in today’s society is a complex and multifaceted concept that requires a comprehensive approach. It requires education, policy reforms, support, mentorship, male allyship, safe spaces, celebration, and amplification of women’s voices. By working together, we can create a society where women are empowered to reach their full potential and live with dignity and respect.