‘A woman is the full circle, within her is the power to create, nurture and to transform.’ Diane Mariechild
Woman, making half of the world population, isn’t just an ornamental piece to be kept at home, neither is she a lesser-being for whom opportunities are never meant to be. She is as worth as men, an equal part of society whose inclusive participation can boost the speed of progress in the social, political and economic arena. Let her not to be confined within boundary walls of house but her true capacities must be realized to bring prosperity in the society. She is not just a beauty icon to be idealised in poetry rather she is a change-maker and an untapped treasure of resource whose might, once unleashed, can revolutionise the pace of progress and can rev-up achievement of sustainable development.
Today’s woman is far less-empowered, less-educated, over-burdened and less-utilized and her abilities are un-recognized. She is objectified and stereotyped. She is attributed with base terms like weaker-sex and fair-sex. She is thought to be irrational. She is thought to be less physically-stronger than men and that is why she is deliberately left behind. Be it health, education, employment or leadership sector she is not given equal rights and opportunities. In decision-making and policy-making process she has no say. She is not given top roles in organizations, parliaments and governments. Her very absence in higher slots of organizational organogram mocks the UN’s fifth Sustainable Development Goal regarding gender equality. Her plight is abysmal in the third world countries. She is less paid than men for equal work. She is harassed, shamed and abused at work places. Without giving her level playing field and conducive environment it is impossible to think of betterment in any field.
Empowering women is to give them the ability to challenge their oppression and access to control strategic life choices by utilizing their capacity and abolishing so-called system of sexual stratification. Stereotypic roles, as are attributed to be female-only, must be rethought. Without utilizing 50% of world population how can it even be imagined to achieve economic progress. Their active participation in any sphere of life is much needed more than ever before. The uplift of social, political and economic status of underprivileged women is the only key to multiply the social progress as well as economic outlook of the world. The only way to utilizing her full capacity is to engage her in decision-making process, providing her equal rights, equal pay and equal benefits at working place.
Contributed by:
Rao Rizwan Sadiq