A lot of people do not have adequate understand of the idea behind female empowerment that has become the focus of individuals, families, governments and nations so while some do not yet comprehend its deeper meaning, many are simply afraid of its interpretations as it may upset the norm or pre-existing ways of livingand reasoning especially in a paternalistic society as ours.
There are so many angles to the discourse of female empowerment but a basic yet significant principle that would give an understanding of its meaning and purpose.
It’s an intellectual liberation for the upward development of all.
In all aspect of our existence and living, we have come to discover that all genders, irrespective of age, location or societal status are naturally endowed and gifted, therefore harnessing and tapping the resources that each one has to offer is a win-win.
We have seen with the progression of world development that the contributions of all genders have had more tremendous impact for growth and expansion than the major contributions from just one gender. Women are equally as gifted as men as there is no discrimination in their endowments: discriminations in what a gender can contribute sterns from norms, cultures, beliefs and value system which the empowerment movement is dissecting to sieve the ugly and limiting mindsets from that which is good and culturally valuable.
Read Also: Okonjo-Iweala Urges WTO To Elect DG On Merit, Says She’s Well Suited
Female empowerment enlightens, it redirects the once colored, one-sided lens view that a certain kind of expectation is to be received from the female gender and nothing more. It is the view that limits the natural endowments, gifts, mental and intellectual contributions of a woman to the development of the world which belongs to both men and women in which their collective contributions are needed for progress.
Female empowerment says that natural endowments, intelligence and natural gifts has absolutely nothing to do with gender because all these are God-given deposits of skills and talents which each person did not choose. Therefore, all genders must be given a level playing ground to harness, buildup and maximize the potential they discover they are naturally blessed with.
No great nation has one half of her gender in restraint because none can truly be great if one half of its gender does not have adequate opportunity to fully realize her highest potential: when one half is limited, the nation won’t realize its greatest potential from the non-contribution gender. Limiting the female gender is detrimental to every aspect of development of a nation, overtly or covertly.
The era of placing certain roles on women, roles that had been imposed by the society on what a woman can, should and must do is easing over because there is a fuller understanding of what natural gifts are which is no respecter of persons or genders. Each must contribute his or her own quota according to what he or she can contribute and not according to imposed norms or dictates of what should be contributed.
According to Marxism, “from each according to his abilities and to each according to his needs” so we all, irrespective of our gender must contribute according to our abilities in field that we are most proficient in. No more restrictions on what the girl child, lady or woman can do intellectually or should do physically.
Female empowerment is not a recalcitrant agenda that seeks to usurp the principles of the fabrics of the society but a redirection of thinking that seeks to liberate minds from the unprogressive patterned systems and teachings that limits one half of a population and think the various aspect of its developmental life can and would grow. Most are now aware that individuals can and should contribute according to their areas of strengths. As an example, female empowerment has liberated the minds of rigid parents from discouraging their girl-child from studying some courses termed ‘masculine’ or taking up jobs that are deemed ‘macho’.
Female empowerment is about been allowed the freedom of finding purpose, meaning and fulfillment and getting to the highest level of one’s potentially without predictable factors that are unconsciously biased and withholds chances from females just because of their gender.
Read Also: Social Media Influencer, Adeherself Granted Bail By Court
Female empowerment is beneficial to all as it changes the perceptions and perspectives from which both men and women views things: female empowerment is thinking critically and reasoning intellectually about what each individual can do.
In the yesteryears, career options were majorly divided along gender lines. The culinary and cooking career were mainly for women and the driving plus mechanical engineering jobs, mainly for men but we have seen so many men doing so well in cooking and culinary businesses and some women in the field of driving doing equally well.
Female empowerment has blurred and is still blurring the limiting dichotomy placed by cultural nuances on what the genders should be doing and not what they have the natural inclination, empowerment, knowledge and interests to do.
Female empowerment is empowering for both the male and female gender because it debunks myths and seeks to liberates thinking which leads to innovative ideas that can be harnessed for personal, family, societal, national and world development so when next you hear, ‘female empowerment’ know that it’s a liberating, illuminating, enlightening movement that is advantageous to all and not a call to gender recalcitrance.
Female empowerment is not a conspiracy against men.
OLUWABUSAYO MADARIOLA
On Thursday, December 19, 2024, His Royal Majesty Oba Dr. Olukayode Olufolarin Ogunsanwo, the Alara…
In anticipation of its 50th anniversary, Epe Club, a distinguished institution in the Epe Division,…
The Nigerian Army Council has recently approved the promotion of 108 senior officers to the…