Gender empowerment

Gender Parity Index

Example of a Gender Parity Index - Primary Education Completion Rate

Gender Empowerment can be influenced by its social impact. Societal attitudes play an important role in shaping the issues and opportunities individuals face when achieving gender equality. The broader social environment of a nation is a catalyst towards empowering genders. Community values, practices and values are also a factor.

## Contents

* 1 Origins
* 2 Gender empowerment in action
* 2.1 Kate Sheppard
* 2.2 Women in development
* 2.3 #MeToo Movement
* 2.4 Australian Human Rights Commission
* 2.5 Feminist Popular Education
* 3 Approaches
* 3.1 Examples at macro-Level
* 3.2 Examples at meso-Level
* 3.3 Examples at micro-Level
* 3.3.1 Australia's approach
* 4 Migration and gender empowerment
* 5 See also
* 6 References

## Origins

The concept of gender empowerment has gained significant attention, and its implications have been explored in a number of contexts. Since the 1970s, the term ‘empowerment’ has gained popularity,[1] however with revolutionaries such as Agnodice, gender empowerment was known to have started back in 400BC.[2]

Empowerment and its ideals is now noticeably highlighted within international development organisations, and the concept gained a strong placement within the international and developmental agenda.[1] Initially conceived as a way to oppose Hierarchical development models, empowerment now has been reimagined as a tool to assist in enhancing institutional efficiency rather than fostering transformative social change.[1] Empowerment now takes action rather than being just an idea.

With movements such as Feminism and the Black Power initiative, the origins of gender empowerment can be traced back to the mid 20th century.[1] Gender Empowerment is heavily written between the waves of feminism. Beginning in the 19th to 20th Century, suffrage was a key feature.[3] It can be said that Gender Empowerment is most predominantly seen in women's history.

Lasting inconsistencies within gender roles across the world can occur through cultural values and beliefs regarding gender inequality passing on through generations.[4] Academics such as Bourdieu have also further developed the idea of gender empowerment. Bourdieu refers to the "objective social conditions and relatively independent social spaces with their own values and regulative principles in which individuals are embedded."[5]

Among activists, associations and NGO's, Gender Empowerment is ripe and has seen remarkable success.[1] Its specific origin is unclear however has contributed to a deeper understanding of gender inequality.

## Gender empowerment in action

There are a number of examples of Gender Empowerment throughout history. Gender Empowerment is more than familiarised within the history of feminism and its movements. Popular movements tend to be embedded in broad-based networks, and past research shows that when leadership reflects a larger range of perspectives and diverse backgrounds, a coordinated effort or solidarity-based action is much more likely to be successful or effective.[6]

### Kate Sheppard

Kate Sheppard was a notable activist for Female Voting Rights in New Zealand. Kate, alongside many other women fought for the women's right to vote and presented a Parliamentary petition with 32,000 signatures leading for New Zealand in 1893 to grant national voting rights to women.[2]

Kate Sheppard

### Women in development

In the International Year of Women in 1975, the Women in Development model or the women in empowerment scheme, the United Nations pushed the first international policy for women within this agenda. The adoption of WID policies by a number of governments and NGO's and the establishment of female ministries in many of the UN's partnering nations were among many positive outcomes of the Women in Development Model.[7]

### #MeToo Movement

The term ‘MeToo’ was created in 2006 by activist Taran Burke, originally in response to actions of sexual violence, encouraging victims to stand up and speak out. Initially used to focus on women in minority's, the term then gain popularity again in the late 2010s with the MeToo Movement as Film producer Harvey Weinstein was accused of multiple counts of rape and sexual assault.[8]

### Australian Human Rights Commission

According to the Australian Journal of Human Rights (2020) there is legislation in Australia that protects women from unfair treatment on the basis of their sex, marital or relationship status. This legislation also incriminates sexual harassment, including in the workplace.[9] Around 300 companies since 2013, have implemented gender-equity strategies.[9] Nevertheless, the results of gender-focused empowerment programs have varied significantly.

### Feminist Popular Education

In the early 1980s, as a response to the male-dominated approaches prevalent in mainstream educational and social movements, feminist popular education arose. Around the same time, feminist critiques and broader feminist interventions occurred that questioned educational practices and theories within varied social action spaces.[10] Feminist Popular Education aims to support personal and social empowerment and specifically cares for the conditions and positions of women.[10] It revisits and challenges existing gender relations while also highlighting how social categories such as race, ethnicity and age influence the framing of gender.[10]

Empowerment programs such as Feminist Popular Education, though diverse and rooted in distinct cultural contexts, often stem from shared group efforts to foster awareness of lived experiences. The core objective is to disrupt the systemic imbalances of power, echoing the initial inspiration that gave rise to the concepts.[1]

## Approaches

The approach to gender empowerment varies. Academics such as Bourdieu, focused on the diversity of experiences and how people navigate social situations upon when one's society it is disrupted.,[5] and an important approach to advancing gender equality has involved the use of gender mainstreaming tools. These ensure to integrate the perspectives of both men and women into policies and planning processes across all contexts.[7]

More specifically from a gender empowerment perspective, female gender empowerment may be affected by various organisational approaches, depending on what they are.[5]

Below is an example of a relational framework that approaches gender empowerment.[5] At a Macro, Meso and Micro Level, this framework reconstructs gender empowerment.[5] The macro level is the big picture at a broadcast level including culture and politics, whereas the meso level shows how social rules are repeated in institutions such as workplaces and schools, and the micro level is at the personal level which looks at how both society and jobs shape a person's identity, and how a person may see themselves differently depending on their social background.[5] Syed's framework is seen below.

### Examples at macro-Level

* “Legal empowerment” are laws that give people power by promoting equal opportunities such as anti-discrimination laws.[5]
* “Political Empowerment” involves women in all areas of decision making such as political decisions, leadership and religious institutions.
* “Economic Empowerment” ensures women have access to financial resources and assets such as property and bank account ownership.[5]
* “Social Empowerment” is about challenging and aiming to change harmful social stereotypes such as the undervaluing of women's roles as mother's or caregivers.[5]

### Examples at meso-Level

* “Legal Compliance” is obeying the laws that promote equal opportunity and prevent discrimination.[5]
* “Diversity Policies” are organisational strategies for managing gender diversity, such as offering gender-specific benefits such as maternity leave.[5]
* “Flexibility” is the ability to offer alternative and flexible work arrangements that help support a work-life balance and managing both women's and men's personal and familial responsibilities.[5]
* “Affirmative Action” can be seen by promoting women into leadership and decision-making roles within institutions such as corporate board positions.[5]

### Examples at micro-Level

* “Intersectionality” is acknowledging the complex challenges women face due to overlapping identities like those shaped by religion or sexuality or gender.[5]
* “Identity and Agency” is valuing women's ability to make choices, including decisions those related to well-being, careers, and those that shape personal identities.[5]
* “Autonomy” can be tackling issues of inequality and power imbalances that affect women in private spheres such as family settings which includes the right to physical autonomy.[5]
* “Literacy” is ensuring that women have access to all forms of education such as vocational training.[5]

The framework connects the three interconnected levels of analysis to create a more complete and practical understanding of diversity and equal opportunity, but also what it means and how its applied in a real-life context.[5]

#### Australia's approach

Australian Government's aid program's overarching objective is to achieve gender equality and women's empowerment. There are similarities here in comparison to the mentioned framework above too. According to the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (2016), partner countries essentially play a key role in promoting gender equality by identifying challenges and implementing solutions. On a global scale, contributing to international conversations and efforts.[11]

The Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade have also committed to a Gender Equality Fund in 2015.[11] Within the financial year of 2020-2021 in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the fund received a total of $65 million just that year.[11]

Similarly, the Australian Government Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet developed a strategy supporting the Australian Government's aim for gender equality. According to the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (2025) they vision to keep the nation a safe place where there are equal outcomes for both genders.[12]

Australia is also a part of a number of advocacy groups and partnerships that work towards promoting initiatives and strengthening actions to combat gender-based violence. A number of these groups include the UN Group of Friends for the Elimination of Violence against Women and Girls, the Generation Equality Forum Action Coalition, and the Call to Action on Protection of Gender-Based Violence in Emergencies.[11] Providing monetary support since 2010, Australia is a long-standing member of the UN Women's Ending Violence against Women and Girls global movements.[11] Australia continues to have ongoing engagement within global efforts to address gender-based issues.

## Migration and gender empowerment

Migration plays a role in shaping gender dynamics and encouraging new pathways for Gender Empowerment. For a reason whether economic, social or political, migration intersects with gender, influencing access to factors such as education, employment and legal rights. For Gender Empowerment, structural and cultural factors all play a role in shaping migrants’ experiences.

Within developing third-world countries, labour migration has benefits on the economy of the country of origin, alongside the number of possibilities the work has for the lives and income of female migrants.

Employment cannot be directly tied to empowerment either because of certain terms of employment.[13] Where minimum wage migrant women are mainly based, types of employment such as ‘enclave employment’ does not necessarily direct towards empowerment. Low wages and indecent working standards, with little opportunity for progression[13] can lead to a severe disconnect between employment and empowerment within migrating women or men. To be taken advantage of without knowledge, is where the disconnect lies. Within migrant hosting countries, between employment and discrimination there are issues such as an arising gender pay gap, where women who are just as trained and educated as their male counterparts are still paid less. Appointing to this can also be segregation by gender, lack of access to information and lack of legal status.[13]

Migration and empowerment is a complex and conflicting narrative at times where migration can offer new means of employment and opportunities for economic success, however, can also expose those to new ways of exploitation and violation.

Motivation and empowerment drives some migrant workers, some working to save for their families or to just aim to work outside of home, or some working from their own autonomy to live a life they wish to live. Despite certain working conditions, most female migration, excluding cases of abuse and situations of trafficking, offers a number of positive outcomes for the women involved, including self-agency and self-confidence.

There are benefits to migration leading to empowerment especially of those starting within less-fortunate situations. Within some nations, economic success has been caused by internal female migration.[13] According to Ghosh (2020) examples that within the country of Bangladesh, female migrant workers make most of the demographic working in the garment industry.[13]

While migration presents certain risks and inequalities, it also serves as a vital tool for gender empowerment when supported by fair employment practices, legal practices and inclusive social structures. Harnessing the empowerment potential of migration, addressing systemic barriers and ensuring decent work conditions are encouraged to be put in place in both nations receiving migrants and of those sending them.

## See also

* Anti-gender movement
* Diversity, equity, and inclusion
* Diversity (politics)
* Diversity training
* Gender and politics
* Gender diversity
* Gender equality
* Gender essentialism
* Respect
* Suicide in LGBT youth
* Sociology of gender
* Women's empowerment

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Calvès, Anne-Emmanuèle (2009). "« Empowerment » : généalogie d'un concept clé du discours contemporain sur le développement". Revue Tiers Monde 200 (4): 735. doi:10.3917/rtm.200.0735. ISSN 1293-8882. https://doi.org/10.3917/rtm.200.0735.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Timeline: Women's Footprint in History" (in en). https://interactive.unwomen.org/multimedia/timeline/womensfootprintinhistory/en/index.html#section01/2.
3. ↑ "Womens Empowerment - Facts, Stories and How To Help" (in en). https://www.worldvision.com.au/womens-empowerment#:~:text=This.
4. ↑ Vu, Trung V. (2024-12-12). "How Deep Are the Roots of Female Empowerment? Population Diversity and Gender Inequality*". Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics 87 (3): 613–658. doi:10.1111/obes.12651. ISSN 0305-9049.
5. ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 5.15 5.16 5.17 Syed, Jawad (May 2010). "Reconstructing gender empowerment". Women's Studies International Forum 33 (3): 283–294. doi:10.1016/j.wsif.2010.03.002. ISSN 0277-5395. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wsif.2010.03.002.
6. ↑ Akchurin, Maria; Lee, Cheol-Sung (August 2013). "Pathways to Empowerment". American Sociological Review 78 (4): 679–701. doi:10.1177/0003122413494759. ISSN 0003-1224. https://doi.org/10.1177/0003122413494759.
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Aina, Olabisi I.; Olayode, Kehinde (2011-06-01). "Gender Equality, Governance and Women Empowerment Agenda in a Democratizing Society: Issues, Prospects, and Challenges". The Nigerian Journal of Sociology and Anthropology 9 (1). doi:10.36108/njsa/1102/90(0150). ISSN 0331-4111. https://doi.org/10.36108/njsa/1102/90(0150).
8. ↑ "The #MeToo Movement : Investigating the Lasting International Impacts" (in en). 2024-01-31. https://hir.harvard.edu/metoo-movement-international/#:~:text=The.
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Gonzalez-Salzberg, Damian A. (2020-09-01). "Protecting human rights in the Americas amid a pandemic: a reflection on resolution 1/2020 of the Inter-American Commission". Australian Journal of Human Rights 26 (3): 556–563. doi:10.1080/1323238x.2020.1864806. ISSN 1323-238X. https://doi.org/10.1080/1323238x.2020.1864806.
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Mulqueeny, Judy; Walters, Shirley; Manicom, Linzi (1997). "Gender in Popular Education". Agenda (33): 91–93. doi:10.2307/4066140. ISSN 1013-0950. https://doi.org/10.2307/4066140.
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 "Gender equality and women's empowerment strategy.". 2016. https://www.dfat.gov.au/sites/default/files/gender-equality-strategy.pdf.
12. ↑ "Working for Women: A Strategy for Gender Equality" (in en-AU). PM&C. https://www.pmc.gov.au/office-women/working-women-strategy-gender-equality.
13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 Ghosh, Jayati (2020-11-29), "Migration and Gender Empowerment: Emerging Issues", Governance and Labour Migration (Routledge India): pp. 134–162, doi:10.4324/9781003157175-6, ISBN 978-1-003-15717-5, https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003157175-6, retrieved 2025-05-14

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