Empowering Women through education..

Every woman has a different story. We see it in her face, note it in the way she interacts with her community and family, understand that she is the culmination of her collective experiences.

Yet not all women’s stories have happy endings. In developing countries, girls tend to inherit the poverty status of their mothers. Many girls are exposed to abuse or virtually enslaved in their homes and never get the chance to break the cycle of poverty. Also in developing nations, there are limited employment opportunities for women, so many don’t see the need to go to school. By circumstance, the worldviews of girls are often narrowed to the point of mere sustenance living, with no time or regard for their own foreseeable future.

Fortunately, this has been changing in recent decades. Across the globe, girls and women have made enormous strides in advancing their station in life; becoming leaders in their communities, improving the quality of life for themselves and their children, and increasing their lifetime earning potential. What has been a common thread for these women? Education.

Not having access to education can be an enormous barrier for girls in developing countries.Especially in rural areas, the education of girls can be a complex issue. Students sometimes have to walk miles to the closest school, which is a deterrent for their attendance. The majority of housework and chores is performed by women and girls, meaning they have less time for studies.

“Great thought needs to be given to enhancing the teaching curriculum and to bringing in more vocational training. This would benefit young girls and women who do not attend secondary school, giving them a chance for economic independence and weaning some of them away from the problems associated with early marriage.”Often girls in developing countries are forced into early marriage and motherhood, which limits their ability to attend school.

Education clearly changes the lives of girls and young women for the better. It breaks the cycle of poverty, helps creates role models within communities, and provides better employment opportunities and cultivating leaders. In developing countries, education gives girls a reason to think beyond the next day, and in all cases, the chance to help and invest in others. Education levels the playing field between men and women. And universally, education unleashes the power of future generations of women, giving us all the privilege of living in a better world.

Whatever you do to help women get an education this month (or any other point in the year), know that you are empowering them to rewrite their life stories for the better!

WOMEN AND HER POWER!!!

“A woman is the full circle. Within her is the power to create, nurture and transform.” - Diane Mariechild

Among the most intensely discussed issues of today is the upliftment of women. The issue has attracted attention from all walks of life, creating both controversies and emotional response. The basic problem facing this is the absence of an exact solution. Due to cultural variations in different parts of the world, each society requires a unique treatment of uplifting its womenfolk.
From time immemorial, women have been subdued in one form or other by the society dominated by men. ‘In the year 586 of the Christian era, a conference was called in Europe to decide whether a woman possessed a soul or not. The conference, however, decided in a too liberal spirit that woman was a portion of humanity and as such possessed a soul. But her sole duty was to serve man’.

In accordance with the victory of materialism, woman of the present is also utilized by the male-dominated world as an object of material gains only. As a person, she has not received the attention she deserves.

To add to this problem, the modern media has contributed to her identity crisis. She is forced to take up the profession as dictated by the society. In the fight for equality, she has become close to man in independence with respect to income and living. But psychologically, she is still ruled by the dictates of a patriarchal world.

Thus the issue of upliftment of women has taken serious turns, some of which that were never expected even by the feminist movement. The important question is whether the upliftment of women should be done regardless of her psycho-physiological nature or without any such considerations.

Some countries provide special reservations to women in job opportunities. They also enjoy a certain provision in political institutions of the country. But despite such concessions, ladies produce little results. They are not actively involved in the decision making process, whether at home or office.

Although women have maintained a better career track record in the West, very few top companies have female executives. This indirectly exposes the real nature of modern civilization. And in spite of the hue and cry about women’s rights, the harassment at workplaces is on the rise.

Therefore upliftment should not be a mere legislative exercise. It is in fact to teach ‘Her’ the real value of her own self as an individual. She herself has to discover her own position and honor. From the land of whims and fancies, she has to migrate to the land of action and spiritual awakening. Her upliftment lies inside her, not in the hands of governments and media. She should rise above the status of a mere ‘object of desire’ to a respected and honored individual. Material upliftment alone is not sufficient for this. A purified heart also plays a crucial role.