Education offers a woman so much more than a degree! It enables her to think for herself, to make sense of the world around her, to make decisions, to create new opportunities, to guide others and to make a meaningful contribution to society.
But for many communities, the educated woman’s potential is curtailed once she has finished her schooling. Her knowledge, skills, and abilities are not allowed to be utilized; she is limited to mainly household duties. Being a homemaker and having children is important work, but an educated woman’s work can go beyond the confines of the home.
Empowerment is not a word that is universally understood in the same way.There is no single definition of what empowerment means.
Empowering women does not always require them to compete with men or be better than men in all aspects of life. Empowerment is about giving women the confidence, freedom and opportunities to discover, and use their ability in meaningful ways.
A empowered woman isn’t just a professional or self-reliant woman. She is a person who knows her value, makes conscientious decisions, builds her abilities, and adds value wherever she goes.
Change starts at home
The first arena for social change is the home. A woman with a good education can be a great source of positive influence in her family.
She can have her children engage in meaningful discussions, be inspired by her, have learning opportunities, have her help develop their creative ideas, and have an environment that fosters curiosity and growth rather than spend time only discussing unnecessary things or only doing things with little added value.
She can teach a new skill, lead a young girl, read, write, teach or a productive hobby. Though small, these actions can spur meaningful change, as history has demonstrated change often starts with small steps in ordinary homes.
Turning Skills into Opportunities
For many women this empowerment can also mean to turn skills into productive activities.
Today a lot of ladies are putting their talent to creative and constructive use. Skills in cooking, baking, stitching, designing, tutoring, handicrafts, writing, online teaching, and others can be a way for personal development and sometimes a means of income.
Such activities not only provide financial support. They empower, promote a sense of purpose and validate women’s skills.
A woman who realizes her potential becomes more confident to make decisions and is able to make a contribution to her family and community.
The Greatest Impact: Inspiring Others
Maybe one of the best aspects of an empowered woman isn’t what she does, but what she inspires in others.
A mother who values learning, inspires children to respect learning. The woman who finds herself confident, empowers other women to trust in themselves. When a woman makes productive use of her skills, it sends a message to others that opportunity might not always be the best of times – sometimes it starts with determination and creativity.
The progress of one person can inspire a multitude of others.
The human rights of both women and girls are being violated.Women and girls’ rights are being violated.
The talk is about changing society, but society is actually created from families, communities and every day interactions.
Educated women, if they use their knowledge to a good purpose, can contribute to the development of education, creativity, entrepreneurship, kindness, confidence and responsible thinking in their community.
They have an impact beyond just themselves. Their values, habits, and ideas can influence future generations and help to create a more aware and progressive society.
When Education Becomes Action
The ultimate objective of education is not simply to get a degree but to make knowledge action.
One educated woman doesn’t have to change the whole world overnight. Empowering one child, teaching one skill, supporting one person, starting one small project, introducing one positive idea into a home can sometimes be the beginning of something greater.
When education is action, empowerment is impact.
Empowered women making positive change around them goes far beyond the empowered woman and strengthens families, communities and society.
Nayab Idrees
The writer is a freelance journalist and PhD scholar who frequently writes on social, political, and educational issues. She can be reached at [email protected].
