Why We Need More Strong Women & How To Reach There
In the last 100 years or so, ever since we have actively started documenting history, social issues and been studying socio-cultural changes, there has been a major change in the role of women. From the first wave of feminism that targeted only rich, white women to the need for intersectionality in the women’s movement, there have been several changes. The later movements or waves of feminism focused on empowerment in the workplace, in the public sphere, empowerment of women of colour and equality for women who belong on different parts of the gender spectrum.
While women across the world need empowerment, socio-cultural contexts differ not only from country to country but between regions in the same country as well. What may be revolutionary in India may be a norm in the USA and what may be a big step in a rural Indian town may not be such a big deal in an urban Indian city. The need for women empowerment is immense, but socio-cultural context is a very important factor. We cannot fight for maternity leave in a small Indian town where women are not even allowed to study or choose their own life partners. Women empowerment must take into account the social setting and the movement must be built brick by brick.
Women empowerment in India is a much needed change which is not only social but covers all aspects of our lives. Right from education and employment to social issues like women’s safety, equal pay, maternity leave, menstrual care, prenatal and post-natal healthcare, there are a lot of reasons why we need to empower women and encourage them to achieve their full potential.
When we think of women empowerment in 2021, people often talk of how far we have come and how there are so many women doing great things. But if you think about it, these are just token numbers. 1 woman in a board of 10 people might be celebrated, 1 female bureaucrat amongst 100 might be used to say that women are empowered, but what about the rest? True equality comes when there are equal men and women and when we reach a point where women no longer have to face discrimination. We surely have some incredibly strong, talented women in our country, but what we need is more of these women. That is why we need women empowerment in India.
When we say we need strong women, it’s important to understand that we need to create an ecosystem that helps these women grow and develop. We need to have accessible education, healthcare, employment and social support for these women. We should incentivize women in business, encourage female entrepreneurship, encourage female athletes, push for education at all levels, not just primary education. To build strong women we should first have a system that encourages them to pursue their dreams.
When we enable women to embrace their strength, not only are we paving the way for a more egalitarian world, but we are also creating a more just, a more inclusive and a more equitable world, a better world for everyone. That is why strong women are the need of the hour.
