Empowerment

5 Small Steps Towards Female Empowerment

You probably hadn’t considered these.

By 

Regardless of how you perceive society around you, we are a far cry from the gender inequality experienced before women were granted the right to vote. In fact, it’s safe to assume the World War II would have had a different outcome and the entire economy wouldn’t have survived if not for the thousands of ‘Rosie the Riveters’ that flooded the factories and work floors.

5 Small Steps Towards Female Empowerment

Women have gained ground in their quest for equal standing, but make no mistake — there is still plenty of work to be done. Changing the social, cultural, and political structures that keep women from excelling isn’t for the faint of heart, nor can it be done alone. A collective movement and shift in perspective will be more easily accomplished when females across the globe present a united front about their worth, abilities, and potential.

Here are five ways you can help women feel empowered and move forward in the quest for equality:

1. Provide Opportunities for Education

In the United States, it wouldn’t seem that access to education is influenced by gender. It has been in the past, but higher education statistics are showing the women are out-enrolling their male counterparts and displaying higher retention rates. This could be because online courses are allowing women to pursue their dreams while still tending to domestic or employment priorities.

5 Small Steps Towards Female Empowerment

In countries across the globe, school-age girls are often saddled with the responsibilities of collecting clean water for their family, taking daylight hours to walk several miles for this necessity. Improving access to clean water in remote communities can help open opportunities for more girls around the world receive the education they deserve. You can get involved by working with Charity: Water.

Another primary reason that girls miss school is because of a lack of access to sanitary products. And, amazingly, this isn’t just a third-world problem. It is estimated nearly 1 in 5 American girls have missed school due to a lack of period products, and 137,000 girls miss school in the UK each year because of a lack of access to sanitary products. In India, it has been estimated that as many as 1 in 5 girls drop out of school after they get their periods — and in some regions, like Maharashtra, that number is nearer to 4 in 5. You can help by petitioning your local government to provide free sanitary products. Check out Red Box Program as an example of a successful campaign.

When a girl finishes secondary school, she is less likely to experience child marriage, face domestic abuse, and suffer from long-term health complications. As a result, educated women and girls are more likely to have fewer, healthier children, who are then, in turn, more likely to get an education and pull themselves out of poverty.

2. Support the Women and Girls in Crisis

There has been a drastic increase in human trafficking rates over the last few years, and millions of girls across the world are subjected to child marriages, enslavement, and other trafficking activities.

There are hundreds of agencies that work to provide training, counseling, education, medical care, and financial support for those who have been rescued and are trying to start a new life. Getting involved as a volunteer or donating to a charity in the space (here’s a good one) can help support the rights and freedoms of females around the world.

3. Stay Involved Locally

You don’t have to look beyond the corners of your community to realize that females around you need help. There is a growing poverty rate in many states, and poor-performing schools limit the potential of the girls who need the best chance at success. Domestic violence is a huge issue all around the world.

You can help by volunteering at a women’s shelter (Google women’s shelters in your city and go visit them in person). While you’re there, convince them to accept pets (since not wanting to leave their pet with an abusive man is one of the primary reasons why women don’t get help).

Get involved with a mentoring program and volunteer as a tutor or mentor to a disadvantaged girl. One of the biggest mentoring organizations in the U.S. is the Big Brothers, Big Sisters program.

4. Shop With Small Businesses

Many of the small businesses in your community are being managed by local women and their families. In today’s economy, it can be tough to offer a quality product or service at reasonable prices without being edged out by giants like Walmart and Amazon. Help your local business market by shopping that row of boutique shops or the bakery down the street.

To help women entrepreneurs globally, buy from women artisans on Etsy and, if you’re able, get involved with programs that offer microloans to help encourage female entrepreneurship, or help women directly through a microloan platform like Zidisha, where you can communicate directly with the women and give extra support.

5 Small Steps Towards Female Empowerment

5. Speak Up — Unapologetically!

In spite of the medical and technological advancements that have been made over the past decades, complications from pregnancy and childbirth continue to claim the lives of hundreds of thousands of females and newborns around the world. Preventable diseases such as malaria or conditions like diarrhea and pneumonia have a significant impact, and you have the ability to make a difference.

Getting involved in aid organizations is one way to get the word out, but you can also go straight to the top. Contact your Congress members with emails or calls and share your voice about the conditions of females around the world. Encourage your friends and families to do the same. Check out Global Citizen for more help on that front.

And…

Perhaps one of the most important things you can do to help a woman feel empowered is to let them know how much you care. Communicating your love, respect and appreciation will go a long way in encouraging a woman who may feel overwhelmed and unnoticed.

Write a thank-you note to your child’s teacher or grab an extra coffee for your co-worker struggling to make ends meet. If you are in the lucky position of being able to promote employees at your company, pay special attention to women. You can live in such a way that the females in your life feel valued and appreciated no matter what is going on.

A writer, artist, and designer since she was young enough to put pencil to paper, Hilary taught herself code and created Urbanette when she was a teenager. Currently, she lives in Monte Carlo, but spent the past decade living in NYC, still considers herself a New Yorker, and visits regularly. She's always traveling, looking for hot new topics, destinations, and life hacks to bring to Urbanette readers.

Reader Discussion: 219 Comments

  1. Rachael Wise

    I love this! Great insight. We need to help oppressed women understand self-discovery isn’t just about going inside our heads, it is also about exploring our external boundaries. Life is filled with choices. We aren’t puppets on a string or rocks falling down a hill, we choose the direction our life takes. We are masters of our destiny.

  2. Kathryn Maupin

    My mother celebrated her 51st birthday by buying and learning to ride a motorcycle. The freedom and joy it gives her when she travels the back roads and immerses herself in nature makes her feel more empowered that ever! With great courage comes great joy.

  3. Thanks so much for your words of encouragement. I found them at just the right time. I’m hoping to reconnect with myself and be more comfortable with myself. Thanks for the great read and inspiration.

  4. This is perfect and every word really spoke out to me. The past few years I’ve been reliant on other people to always be there, being in a large friend group and all. But starting off in 2020 I want to be a more confident and empowered version of me!

  5. Natalie Clegg

    I want to be self-employed, to have the courage to set up my day.
    The courage to stand up and say, “No I don´t want to do that, and I won’t do that”, without being angry, upset, just mindful of what is that I really want to do. Stop being fearful of the bad reactions people have towards me.

  6. I’ve been accepted to a university that I’m supposed to start soon. The thing is that I’m happy doing simple things in my life. I’m debating the stepping outside my comfort zone or doing what I am currently happy doing. Whatever I choose must be my own choice and I’ve had plenty of input. For me it is a lot of journaling and then assuming I take a step outside my comfort zone, I will just have to put my fears aside and stick my nose out. I tell myself this is a learning experience and I seem to be ok with that. I guess in a sense, I am empowering myself.

  7. Nellie Griggs

    It’s funny that we are more knowledgeable than ever. Yet – at the same time – we seem to have the least wisdom than ever. Today’s society is very effective at robbing us from our innocence, sense of wonder and unique identity. It’s desperately trying to hold on to what can’t be hold on to. When we grow up, society tries to scare us in doing this and that or else bad things will happen to you. Luckily, with patience and education, we can overcome this.

  8. Kathy Harrington

    This indeed was beautifully written. Wonderful, timeless advice. Off to share this. Others need to be reminded as well!

  9. Great advice and a valuable piece of advice not found in self help books. This was quite possibly the best read I had today. Thank you!

  10. Eugenia Hoover

    One word: Inspiring! Excellent job, all really awesome points. Well done! Looking forward to more posts like this!

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