Have you ever wondered what female empowerment is and why it is important? For many years, women have had to fight against structural gender barriers and, despite their struggle, they are still in a disadvantaged position compared to men in many aspects.
One of the tools through which we seek to reduce this gap between men and women is, without a doubt, female empowerment, which refers to providing greater autonomy for women, their recognition, and the visibility of their contributions to society.
Although it seems unthinkable in these times in which, apparently, all freedoms and rights are guaranteed, being born a girl implies having to break several barriers such as gender inequality and discrimination, among others.

Learn more about the main advantages of female empowerment and you can contribute to make it possible.

Benefits of female empowerment

Although some may think that female empowerment is only favorable for women, building more equitable societies generates positive effects for everyone. The following are some facts that tell us about the advantages of promoting women’s empowerment.

– Access to primary education for girls would reduce early marriages by 14% and access to secondary education by 64%.

– Access to primary education for girls would reduce early pregnancies by 10% and access to secondary education by 59%.

– It is fundamental to achieving equality, development, and peace.

– It contributes to eradicating poverty and promotes social justice.

– It promotes respect and equal opportunities for women and men.

– It condemns physical or psychological violence and injustices against women.

– It can contribute to greater economic growth.

– It helps to ensure food security.

– It contributes to the care of the environment.

As you can see, the advantages of promoting women’s empowerment and moving towards more egalitarian societies are not few, nor are they exclusively for women.

How can we begin to make female empowerment possible?

Some small daily actions can be our contribution to achieve equality. Get to know and apply some of them:
Involve all family members in household chores. Throughout the years, the distribution of these tasks has not been fair. Involving men and women equally in these tasks brings us closer to equality.
Put aside gender stereotypes. Recognizing that men and women have equal capabilities and that neither should be circumscribed to certain roles in society is an important step toward breaking inequality.
Continue working to guarantee women’s fundamental rights. Although many achievements have been made over the years in the area of women’s rights, there are still many struggles to be won.
Guarantee equal treatment in the workplace. Gender does not have to determine a person’s competencies to perform in the workplace or the conditions to carry out a specific activity. Men and women should receive the same pay and benefits.

Why is it important to promote female empowerment from an early age?

If children learn to live in conditions of equality from an early age, they will internalize it more easily and in adulthood, they will act according to these principles and values. Here are some reasons to encourage female empowerment from childhood.
– For girls to learn that they too can let go of fear, take risks, face challenges, and learn from their mistakes and successes.

– Studies reveal that gender stereotypes make girls feel less intelligent than boys from an early age.

– At an early age, boys do not have prejudices; promoting female empowerment will help them internalize principles of equality and respect.

– Today’s girls are the leaders of the future, so it is important to bet on their potential and seek to guarantee them a more equitable future.

– Equality between men and women will contribute to conflict resolution, economic growth, disease prevention, and greater sustainability in the world.

In the #YoDigoNoMás Movement, we promote women’s empowerment to build more egalitarian societies and promote education as a tool to build a better future and to protect themselves from sexual abuse and other types of violence. Learn more about our Movement and join our cause.