Female empowerment: Everyone talks about it, but most people don't even know what it's really all about. Hailing the female sex as "power women" is not the end of the story. Every woman deserves not only to be given power, but to actually receive it. She deserves to be able to go her own way without obstacles and to actively help shape the world - just like her male companions. And that's what female empowerment is all about.
Let's take a closer look at the term "female empowerment". Literally translated, it means something like "women's ability to act/empowerment. What is meant here is the strengthening of their independence and the possibility to determine themselves.
Issues such as stereotypes, discrimination, inequality of opportunity and the income gap are at the forefront. Basically, it's about helping women overcome limits imposed on them by social norms and, in some cases, even by themselves. Women should be able to go their own way - that is the great goal of female empowerment. For this to succeed, empowerment should take place in five ways:
Entrepreneur are increasingly asking themselves the questionhow exactly they can empower women in their company. It's simple: with the help of the seven "Womens Empowerment Principles"! This is a kind of guide that specifies how equality can be promoted in companies. It was launched as a joint initiative of UN Women and the UN Global Compact and includes the following points:
"We live in the 21st century, there is already equality," you think? Of course, women's rights and opportunities are much better today than they were just a few decades ago. But we have not yet reached the point where women and men are actually treated equally.
Here are a few numbers to illustrate the point. Only 15.5 % of startups founded in 2020 are led by women. Women also earned 18 % less per hour in 2020, despite having the same job. This is not because the female gender is less ambitious or achieves less. Rather, the reason is that there is still no complete equality of opportunity.
Female stereotypes make a significant contribution to the fact that women still have a hard time asserting themselves in the world today. They are said to be too soft and unable to assert themselves. They are said to be the "weaker sex" and thus unable to accomplish things that men can do hands down.
Everyone should be aware that there is absolutely no truth in this. And yet such outdated stereotypes are still firmly anchored in people's minds, including those of women themselves. And this is precisely where the Coaching on.
Women limit themselves with this way of thinking. In the Coaching they reflect on it and learn what kind of destructive way they actually deal with themselves. The goal is to transform this into self-esteem, Self-confidence, motivation and courage.
No woman should fight for female empowerment alone. Only together is it possible to advance a movement that really changes something. No, this doesn't mean that you should go out and demonstrate on the streets every day from now on. Even small changes in everyday life strengthen female empowerment.
In the meeting, you first let the men in the group speak. If a woman is interrupted, you simply let it happen. If a very good idea from a colleague is simply dismissed or even ignored, you don't question the matter further. Do you recognize yourself here?
Then you should clearly work on your own basic attitude and your resulting behavior. Even though you may not want to admit it: Many women are also prejudiced. One in five employees sees men as better leaders, to name just one example. Female empowerment starts with yourself!
A woman in your office takes sides and advocates for female employees to be heard and seen more. How do you act? Are you a silent bystander or do you support your colleague? In the spirit of female empowerment, you should clearly choose the latter!
Even if your colleague seems tough and brave, she can use your support! Together you can achieve so much more. At the same time, you're showing the men in the group that you're sticking together and won't let them break you down so easily. If that's not a strong statement, what is?
When it comes to assigning an important task, taking care of a new customer or filling a new position, think about which woman you can recommend. It is scientifically proven that especially in large groups men take sides first. So be quicker, even if you don't want to volunteer for the task yourself, and help a woman take the reins!
Of course, the candidate you propose should really be suitable for this position. By simply naming colleagues who don't have the necessary qualifications, you're not doing yourself or the other women in the company any favors. On the contrary, you will ensure that your suggestions are no longer taken seriously, even if they are good.
And once again, a woman has agreed to take on organizational tasks - as is so often expected of the female sex. But her work is anything but a matter of course! You can make this clear by publicly thanking her for her commitment in front of everyone else and emphasizing her great achievements.
In this way, you show both male and female employees, who are still stuck in stereotypes, that their excellent work is by no means to be taken for granted.
Time and again, it can be observed that there is competition in the ranks of women. So not only do they have to fight for their place among all the men, but on the way they also have to break through the walls that other women build for them.
Unfortunately, successful women are often showered with ill will, yet they are so strong and courageous! They are the ones who pave the way to the top for their female competitors and open the first doors. So why not give them a boost and take a big step towards equality together with them?
Every day you can see children being teased because they don't behave the way society expects them to. A girl who doesn't want to have her braids braided and likes to climb trees? Strange sight. But why?
Every child should be able to develop freely and not have to worry about what others expect of them because of their gender. So encourage girls around you to be brave and follow their dreams, even if they are not considered "girly".
What does talking about sex have to do with female empowerment, you ask? A lot! Have you ever noticed that it's usually considered perfectly legitimate for men to talk about such topics, but women get strange looks right away?
Yes, the topic of equality is omnipresent here as well. Of course, women should also be allowed to speak openly about their sexuality and their bodies. Even Michelle Obama said, "[...], the worst thing we can do to each other as women is not share the truth about our bodies and how they work."
Female empowerment means so much more than throwing around terms like "power woman" or "supermom." It is the fight for equal rights for both sexes. The abandonment of stereotypes, the Accept of change and breaking free from outdated gender roles are just a few of the major issues that Female Empowerment addresses.
Above all, one thing is needed here: courage. Only those who are brave enough to break free from the role that society imposes on women will be able to develop freely.
