Over the past century, there has been considerable progress when it comes to the rights and liberties that have been granted to women. Today, most women have the freedom to create a life that is based on their own terms when it comes to their career, personal lives and vocations. Yet there are still many conservative communities, scattered across the globe, that continue to limit a woman’s role to nothing more than being a housewife and a care-taker.
The women facing oppression in these communities are barred from receiving a good education and get married off at very young ages. They are denied the opportunity to engage in self-discovery and exploring their potential. Without this, it becomes difficult for them to relate to men in a healthy way and stand up for themselves. They become easy prey for abuse and exploitation.
Fortunately, a lot of these injustices have been coming into the spotlight lately. Brave women, such as Malala Yousafzai, who received a Nobel Peace Award for her work, have attracted global attention to the plight of these women that live in the confining mould of these societies. Various campaigns and grass-roots movements have been initiated to combat this discrimination against women.
Women’s place in the modern world
In the Western world, adherence to old gender roles was the norm until about 50 years ago. Women had no choice but to get married early because it was the only way for them to attain financial security.
Marriage was a transactional arrangement where a man agreed to be the breadwinner for the family while the woman was in charge of the household and the children. It was a secure unit that met the needs of both parties involved.
Over the years, marriage has gradually morphed into one of equal partnership because of the rights that women were granted in the social, economical and political arena over the last half of the century. The modern woman is now self-sufficient and can therefore marry a man for love and not solely for practical reasons.
We now have successful and powerful women as role models in the world such Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, Oprah Winfrey and Hillary Clinton, who prove that nothing is out of reach for us if we have the courage to pursue our dreams.
The challenges of the modern woman
However, despite all the progress we have made, many women still find it difficult to forget the ghosts of the past. Many still harbour the subconscious belief that they are the weaker sex and that submissiveness and compromise, at the cost of their integrity and inner power, is a necessity to make a partnership work.
These women fear that if they don’t play down their individuality and personal ambitions, they might intimidate men and stay single for the rest of their life. For this reason, many bright and talented women play down their strengths and lower their standards when it comes to their intimate partnerships.
Not only does this make them potential victims of abuse but they also risk losing their identity and all they have worked for in their life. Today, 85% of domestic abuse victims of intimate partner violence are women. Abuse is not limited to physical abuse — it includes emotional, financial and sometimes a combination of all three.
So the prevailing question is what has caused women to lower their relationship standards despite having the freedom to create a flourishing career and lifestyle?
It is because somewhere deep within them, there is a part that does not believe that they are worthy of love, and that they need a man to complete them. This thought-process has caused countless women to lose themselves in relationships that do not support their growth and ambitions.
This indicates an urgent need to empower women by instigating a revolution that will change how women feel about themselves and what they deserve in relationships. Below are some of the ways through which I believe we can begin making the shift. We can all play a vital role in making these changes through making donations, volunteering, being good role-models and a source of wisdom to young girls and women who are in need of this guidance.
Responsible parenting
We need to begin empowering young girls from an early age by convincing them of their incredible potential, both as a member of society and as a woman. By having conscious parents and inspiring role models, they can build a strong sense of self worth and learn how to meet their emotional needs in healthy ways. Broken and dysfunctional parents serve as poor role models, which the child will emulate if they are not given the right guidance from other sources. If we are parents, we need to take more responsibility when it comes to our own mental and emotional health so that we can raise confident girls who will grow up to be women who strive to live up to their full potential.
Introducing formal empowerment programs in schools and colleges
Empowerment programs for women are the perfect vehicle for educating both girls and women about their feminine power and their ability to make valuable contributions to the world. Through these programs, we can reform their beliefs about their role in society. Education is arguably the strongest tool that can be used to instil confidence and nurture talent within women and for this reason we need to help in institutionalizing these programs in schools today by contributing towards programs such as this one.
Provide a platform for inspiring role models in the media
Unfortunately, most of the youth of today are exposed to celebrities and pop cultural icons who are usually not strong role models for young girls. The focus is on aesthetic beauty and popularity versus strength of character and contribution. We need to expose the youth to strong, virtuous and multi-faceted women who are making a difference in the society through their contributions in various spheres of life such as science, politics, philanthropy, etc.
Make high-quality education accessible to all
In poor and impoverished localities, education is considered a luxury that only few can afford. If we can help these communities build the infrastructure by providing guidance and funding, we can ensure that all women can develop the skill and thought-process to facilitate their advancement in society.
Provide equal career opportunities to women
Statistically, women still earn 20% less than men and are not given as much access to leadership roles in organizations and the political arena. Business corporations should be open to giving women a fair chance at proving themselves on the professional front and realize that a women’s intuitive wisdom can be an invaluable asset to the company.
Promote health awareness
A woman’s confidence is closely tied to how she feels about her appearance and her body image. Women who neglect their health and live unbalanced lives tend to have lower self-esteem. Teaching women how to take care of their bodies and live a healthy lifestyle will provide the strong physical foundation that’s needed to boost their self-esteem.
Wrapping it up
Recently, I watched a documentary feature on Oprah’s academy in South Africa that deeply resonated with me. Oprah handpicked 100 young girls from impoverished places in the country who showed lots of potential and drive. Oprah emphasized that education was the answer for women and it is the only way that women can have more options in their lives.
I wholeheartedly agree with her. As women living in the developed world, we are the torchbearers for the global female population. It is our responsibility to take charge of our lives by reaching our highest potential, through self-education and learning how to choose relationships that support our growth and progress. It is the only way we can present ourselves as role models and become messengers for the women who don’t have access to this information.
Over to you -
What are some of the things that you are willing to change about yourself to have more empowering and healthy relationships with others? How can you contribute towards the community in shaping the women of tomorrow to be more courageous and bold in their lives and relationships?
Author Credits : Seline Shenoy
