Empowering Women Is About Listening To Women
What is the secret behind female empowerment?
As the name suggests, it’s us. Women. We are vital to our own success.
In recent years, the term feminism has fallen back into favor within the media. Women empowerment and strong women are being featured in films from Captain Marvel to Wonder Woman. For the first time, women can see themselves in powerful positions without compromising and are being judged for their intelligence rather than their appearance. There is pride in being a woman, one that comes from the fight we all face against the societal expectations of us.
It has become almost a trend. Instagram pages are popping up in their hundreds with colorful feeds full of inspirational quotes and strong women. There is a push in practically every section of society for equality across the board; women are sick of being second-class citizens. And while I think this trend is vital, it is important to understand that female empowerment is more than this. It is more than an Instagram hashtag or a Tweet.
Women’s empowerment, at its core, is about listening to women.
It is about us making our own decisions about our lives, bodies, and education, without society telling us what to do. It is a fight that has been ongoing for centuries, arguably since the dawn of time. The social media posts are cute. While they make empowerment accessible to younger girls, unless we follow through with the meaning behind them, they do nothing to further the cause.
We need to be listening to the women in our life. Not just the women we like and agree with, but those arguing the other point of view as well. There needs to be a greater push for women’s history to be taught in schools. Young girls need to know how to assert their opinion and feel comfortable doing so without being labeled bossy.
Women need to be encouraged and supported to make decisions about their bodies and lives. To do so, they need to be equipped with the right information. Things such as contraceptives and sex should not be taboo subjects. This list could go on and on, referencing the things we have been told to not talk about. Once we take ownership and pride in the things we have been taught to feel ashamed of, we reclaim an inner power.
We are incredibly complex, powerful, and strong individuals. Some of us might need a little more push than others, but that’s what women’s empowerment is. When we stand together, we are unstoppable.
Through education and awareness, we can shift our world as we know it. We owe it to our sisters, mothers, and ancestors to lift up and support the other women in our life. After all, what’s more powerful than a woman who believes in herself?