The three issues you consider to be most important to women and their families and why these issues are important: Education, Economic and Civil Right.
As Rene Descartes said ‘I think therefore I am’, every human being whether a man women or child has the right to think for themselves and find their self worth. Historically, thinking has been the man’s prerogative where the woman was supposed to follow blindly like chattel. Education for women therefore is one of the most important issues that is facing women empowerment today because not only does education give women a sense of identity and worth it also has a ripple effect on their families.
Education not only opens doors for other opportunities but also significantly helps in creating future stability and growth. An educated mother can along with providing monetarily for the family also recognizes key areas which will be beneficial for her family like proper healthcare, having fewer children and most importantly the value of good education. This will ensure that her legacy is carried forward through her children and grandchildren making universal education a cornerstone in the foundation of an able and just society.
But what is education without freedom. Women through ages have been treated like a minority and denied basic rights. Although in most developed and developing countries civil rights for women have legally been established the problem arises with its implementation at grass root level where women still do not have access to basic human rights.
The struggle for women’s civil rights has been going on at different levels whether it is universal adult suffrage, right to equal job and economic opportunities or the most fundamental right of control over her own body like decisions regarding pregnancy and access to abortion and contraceptives. A woman who is aware of her civil rights and what is entitled to her will also be able to fight for the basic rights of her family and children too.
The three issues of education, civil rights and economic equality go hand in hand when we talk about women empowerment. A person who is educated will be aware of her civil rights and someone who knows what her rights are will work towards economic stability and growth. The fight for women’s economic rights needs to be a continuous process where different agencies like the government, business communities and NGO’s need to work together to create a climate of sustainable economic equality.
Women’s economic empowerment that is the capacity to bring about economic change for themselves is increasingly viewed as the most important contributing factor to achieving equality between women and men. (Women’s Economic Empowerment, n.d., para.3) Economic development in every aspect helps in combating poverty, hence if half the workforce in the world does not have equal economic opportunities and rights then automatically progress in every aspect is stunted.
A woman who is economically independent can provide for a better life for her family. She is her own master and does not have to depend upon anyone for financial help, this not only increases her credibility in society but also makes her emotionally and physically less vulnerable. The ripple effects of economically empowered women on her family is manifold, she is not at the beck and call of the male members of the family and can live her life on her own terms. An educated, economically independent woman who is aware of her rights and duties is an asset to her family as well as society, thus creating a benchmark for women equality in all areas of life which her family can imbibe and follow.
Reference list
- “Women’s Economic Empowerment”, n.d, In International Center for Research on Women. (Retrieved from http://www.icrw.org/what-we-do/economic-empowerment)
