One
way to deploy the empowerment of women is through
land rights. Land rights
offer a key way to economically empower women, giving them the confidence they
need to tackle
gender inequalities.
Often, women in developing nations are legally restricted from their land on the
sole basis of gender. Having a right to their land gives women a sort of
bargaining power that
they wouldn’t normally have, in turn; they gain the ability to assert themselves
in various aspects of their life, both in and outside of the home.
[4] Another
way to provide women empowerment is to allocate responsibilities to them that
normally belong to men. When women have
economic
empowerment, it is a way for others to see them as equal members of society.
Through this, they achieve more self-respect and confidence by their
contributions to their communities. Simply including women as a part of a
community can have sweeping positive effects. In a study conducted by
Bina Agarwal, women were
given a place in a forest
conservation group.
Not only did this drive up the efficiency of the group, but the women gained
incredible self-esteem while others, including men, viewed them with more
respect.
[5] Participation,
which can be seen and gained in a variety of ways, has been argued to be the
most beneficial form of gender empowerment. Political participation, be it the
ability to
vote and voice opinions, or the
ability to run for office with a fair chance of being elected, plays a huge role
in the empowerment of peoples.
[2] However,
participation is not limited to the realm of politics. It can include
participation in the
household, in
schools, and the ability to make
choices for oneself. It can be
said that these latter participations need to be achieved before one can move
onto broader political participation.
[6]When
women have the agency to do what she wants, a higher equality between men and
women is established. It is argued that
Microcredit also offers a
way to provide empowerment for women.
[7] Governments,
organizations, and individuals have caught hold of the lure of
microfinance. They hope
that lending money and credit allows women to function in business and society,
which in turn empowers them to do more in their communities. One of the primary
goals in the foundation of microfinance was women empowerment. Loans with low
interest rates are given to women in developing communities in hopes that they
can start a small business and provide for her family.
[8] It
should be said, however, that the success and efficiency of microcredit and
microloans is controversial
and constantly debated.
[9]