By | Flor Leano
March is a special month for women. This is the time when women’s contribution to the society is given emphasis and again, the perfect time to intensify women empowerment campaigns. But why is it really important to empower women? Empowering women means allowing them to recognize their self worth so they can fulfill their aspirations and reach their full potentials. By empowering them, they can also be more productive and consequently contribute more for the betterment of the society.
Promoting women empowerment should be a continuous process because up until now, there are pressing problems that challenge women such as domestic violence. The World Health Organization stated in a report that 1 in 3 women are subjected to physical and sexual abuse. This even got worse during the pandemic. As experts observed, several of the women who are oppressed are from poor countries living in rural areas and most of them are deprived of education. If women are well-educated, they will realize their rights and understand that some beliefs and practices degrade them. They can assert their rights and confidently speak up even when the society forbids them to do so.
Meanwhile, gender stereotypes deprive women of a stable career or job opportunities just because they are considered too weak to perform difficult tasks. This inequality makes life harder for women leading to a cycle of poverty. UNESCO reported that as of now, 66 percent of the world’s 774 million illiterate population consists of women. Educating them gives them the skills to improve their lives and later on can help them live independently. According to Global Citizen, just one year of secondary school education can increase a woman’s lifetime earnings by up to 20 percent.
Meanwhile, gender stereotypes deprive women of a stable career or job opportunities just because they are considered too weak to perform difficult tasks. This inequality makes life harder for women leading to a cycle of poverty. UNESCO reported that as of now, 66 percent of the world’s 774 million illiterate population consists of women. Educating them gives them the skills to improve their lives and later on can help them live independently. According to Global Citizen, just one year of secondary school education can increase a woman’s lifetime earnings by up to 20 percent.
