{"id":87908,"date":"2022-12-31T15:07:00","date_gmt":"2022-12-31T19:07:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=87908"},"modified":"2023-01-02T16:59:19","modified_gmt":"2023-01-02T20:59:19","slug":"women-empowerment-examples","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/women-empowerment-examples\/","title":{"rendered":"Examples of How to Empower Women in a Man’s World"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What are some ways to empower women? How can you build your self-esteem as a woman<\/a>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to make the women in your life feel better, it\u2019s always good to start by boosting their confidence. For starters, you should remove the \u201cmale-as-default\u201d mindset that prevents you from seeing women as equals. From there, you have to put in the work to empower women in your personal and professional lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether you\u2019re a woman or you want to empower the women in your life, check out these women empowerment examples to make a change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Remove the \u2018Male-As-Default\u2019 Mindset<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When you read the words \u201caverage person,\u201d who do you picture? If you\u2019re like most people, you probably picture a man. In Invisible Women<\/em><\/a>, feminist campaigner Caroline Criado Perez argues that this is because most humans operate under a male-as-default mindset: We consider the average person to be male<\/em>. This mindset is particularly visible in gendered languages\u2014for example, in Spanish, the masculine el doctor <\/em>technically means \u201cmale doctor\u201d but is often used to refer to a doctor of any gender. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perez contends that this male-as-default mindset causes a gender data gap\u2014a lack of information about the female experience\u2014that harms women\u2019s health, safety, and economic standing.<\/strong> This is because we don\u2019t consider women the \u201caverage person,\u201d so we don\u2019t collect data on them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In turn, this gender data gap reinforces the male-as-default mindset. <\/strong>When there is no data about women, people (especially men) assume that the experience of the average man represents the experience of the average woman, so they continue to make choices that reflect this mindset\u2014but ultimately harm women. In this way, the male-as-default mindset and the gender data gap create a vicious, mutually reinforcing cycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, the male-as-default mindset reinforces the idea that the unique experiences of women are considered unimportant. By recognizing the distinctive struggles women go through, in addition to the general way women live life differently than men, you\u2019re well on your way to helping empower women. So before you instill the following female empowerment examples in your life, remove the male-as-default mindset that is hurting women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nTITLE: Invisible Women
\nAUTHOR: Caroline Criado Perez
\nTIME: 13
\nREADS: 20.5
\nIMG_URL: https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/invisible-women-cover.png
\nBOOK_SUMMARYURL: invisible-women-summary-caroline-criado-perez
\nAMZN_ID: XYZ
\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Change the Way You Think About Sex<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The second female empowerment example is to change the way you think about sex. More specifically, educate yourself on the misconceptions about female sexuality<\/a> and anatomy. In Come As You Are<\/em><\/a>, Emily Nagoski argues that the fact that men are the standard for society\u2019s understanding of sexuality has created a knowledge gap concerning women\u2019s unique experiences and biology. This lack of awareness has allowed our society to perpetuate many misconceptions about female anatomy<\/strong> that directly impact the way women see themselves and their sexuality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s more, these misconceptions come from a variety of different places. Nagoski identifies two primary avenues through which society has developed a skewed perception<\/a> of female anatomy: culturally driven metaphors and media representation. In addition, she points out some other harmful but common misconceptions perpetuated by society. Let\u2019s explore each in detail so you\u2019re educated on women\u2019s sexual health<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Metaphor #1: Women\u2019s Hidden Genitals as a Marker of Shame<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

According to Nagoski, during the medieval period, people called the female genitalia pudendum<\/em> (from Latin pudere<\/em>, \u201cto make ashamed\u201d). The reasoning for this was that women\u2019s genitalia (in contrast to men\u2019s) appear hidden inside the body as if women are trying to conceal something they\u2019re ashamed of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In reality, the female genitalia aren\u2019t \u201chidden\u201d at all<\/strong>. Nagoski tells us that instead, the various parts have different sizes and locations from their male counterparts due to biological reasons (which we\u2019ll discuss more in the next section). Assigning such a negative name to women\u2019s genitalia not only points to a lack of biological understanding, but also perpetuates the idea that there\u2019s something fundamentally wrong with their genitalia. If there wasn\u2019t, why else would women try to hide them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nagoski explains that although modern culture doesn\u2019t suggest that women are hiding something disgraceful in a literal sense, the idea that women\u2019s genitalia is somehow shameful remains prominent<\/strong> in the way both men and women feel and talk about female sexuality. For example, both sexes shame women when their clothing inadvertently (and often unavoidably) accentuates the shape of their vulva\u2014what is commonly known as a \u201ccamel toe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Metaphor #2: The Hymen as a Marker of Virginity<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Nagoski notes that society has come to view the hymen\u2014a membrane found at the opening of the vaginal canal\u2014as a marker of virginity. Because of its location and potential to change throughout a woman\u2019s life, there\u2019s a common but incorrect belief that the hymen is a barrier that\u2019s permanently \u201cbroken\u201d the first time that a penis penetrates the vagina. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nagoski warns that this misconception is especially dangerous because of the powerful impact it can have on women\u2019s lives<\/strong>. When an unmarried woman\u2019s hymen is absent or torn, she\u2019s seen as impure or marked as \u201cdamaged goods.\u201d In some cultures, this has resulted in women feeling pressured to have surgical reconstruction of their hymen as if it were a medical necessity. Nagoski adds that in some extreme cases, women are even beaten or killed because people have seen anything but a fully intact hymen as proof that she has had sexual intercourse outside of marriage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, Nagoski maintains that people have used the presence<\/em> of a hymen as proof that a woman couldn\u2019t have been raped, preventing her from seeking justice for the crime committed against her. The logic goes that if the hymen is a barrier and it\u2019s still intact, there was no penetration and thus no rape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nagoski concludes that the basis of these real-world consequences is an entirely false idea. In reality, the hymen serves no biological function<\/strong> (including being a barrier). Some women are born without them, and when they\u2019re present, they simply stretch with penetration. If they do happen to tear, they heal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nTITLE: Come As You Are
\nAUTHOR: Emily Nagoski
\nTIME: 69
\nREADS: 48.6
\nIMG_URL: https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/come-as-you-are-cover.png
\nBOOK_SUMMARYURL: come-as-you-are-summary-emily-nagoski
\nAMZN_ID: XYZ
\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Help Improve Women\u2019s Agency<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Now that we\u2019ve discussed how to empower women in their personal lives, let\u2019s look at women empowerment examples in a professional landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Giving women power in the workplace is not only instrumental in their personal growth<\/a>, but in the growth of developing countries as well. According to Amartya Sen in Development as Freedom<\/em><\/a>, there is proof that improving women\u2019s agency has economic and political benefits that everybody<\/em> can reap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sen identifies bias against women as a major obstacle to growth in developing countries. This bias deprives women of basic rights in areas such as political participation and family planning. It also harms economic development by failing to tap into the productive capacity of women by excluding them from education and the workforce. By empowering women<\/strong>, Sen argues, not only are women better off, but their communities become safer and more prosperous<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fixing Gender Bias<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Sen says the fix to gender bias<\/a> is to improve women\u2019s agency (their ability to make their own decisions in pursuit of their goals).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When women are free to choose whether to pursue an education, enter the workforce, or have children, they usually make choices that benefit not only themselves but their families and communities.<\/strong> This is because they are better equipped than the government to understand the implications of these choices on the people around them. When afforded the same opportunities as men, Sen contends that women become agents of change who can transform communities and societies for the better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Women\u2019s Empowerment and Child Welfare<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Sen argues that the most effective way to empower women is to increase literacy. Research shows that increases in female literacy<\/a> are strongly associated with a reduction in child mortality. <\/strong>This is because the knowledge women gain through education allows them to better care for their children if they choose to have them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to reducing overall child mortality, female literacy (and female labor force participation) is also associated with closing the gap in mortality rates between boys and girls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other factors, such as male literacy and urbanization, weren\u2019t associated with such reductions. This dynamic highlights Sen\u2019s point that traditional methods of development don\u2019t always lead to the desired results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall economic development was not enough to reduce child mortality in this case, but women\u2019s literacy was.<\/strong> For example, one study in India showed that a 50% reduction in the overall poverty rate made almost no difference in under-5 child mortality rates, but an increase in female literacy from 22% to 75% reduced child mortality rates from 156 per thousand births to 110 per thousand births.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Women\u2019s Empowerment and Fertility Rates<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The benefits of female literacy and labor force participation have a similar positive effect on fertility rates. <\/strong>Around the globe, according to Sen, greater recognition of women\u2019s rights usually leads to a reduction in fertility rates (the average number of children born per woman).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In many developing societies, women have little choice in family planning. Education gives women greater knowledge about family planning and working outside the home often gives them more options, too.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nTITLE: Development as Freedom
\nAUTHOR: Amartya Sen
\nTIME: 43
\nREADS: 27.9
\nIMG_URL: https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/development-as-freedom-cover.png
\nBOOK_SUMMARYURL: development-as-freedom-summary-amartya-sen
\nAMZN_ID: XYZ
\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Put Women in Leadership Positions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In the previous section, we discussed the options women have when their agency is increased, such as family planning and participating in the workforce. In this section, we\u2019ll discuss the latter option and why putting women in leadership positions helps both women and companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Lean In<\/em><\/a>, Sheryl Sandberg saw women excel in college and observed an even mix of men and women in post-graduation entry-level jobs. Even if men still dominated leadership positions at that point, she thought the \u201cglass ceiling\u201d had cracked and it was just a matter of time until leadership roles were equally filled by women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But as the years passed and Sandberg advanced in her career, her women peers diminished. Often she was the only woman in the room. She once asked where the women\u2019s restroom was at a business meeting and no one knew\u2014no woman had ever been in that conference room before! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sandberg realized the \u201crevolution\u201d in women\u2019s equality had stalled. Women were fading out of the workforce before reaching top-level, leadership positions<\/strong>, stalled by internal and external barriers keeping them from advancing in their careers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Externally, women face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n