WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT, GENDER

By standing up for equality, women have helped other women speak up and empowered them. “I raise up my voice- not to shout but so that those without a voice can be heard. We cannot succeed if half of us are held back.”- Malala Yousafzai. There exists seven principles to women empowerment, created in a collaboration between the UN Global Compact and UN Women, the Women’s Empowerment Principles are used to empower women in the marketplace, workplace and community.

The seven Principles are:
Principle 1: Create high-level corporate leadership for gender equality
Principle 2: Treat all people fairly at work, respecting and supporting non-discrimination and human rights
Principle 3: Ensure the health, wellbeing and safety of all workers, whether male or female
Principle 4: Promote education, training and professional development for women
Principle 5: Implement supply chain, marketing practices and enterprise development that empower women
Principle 6: Champion equality through community initiatives and advocacy
Principle 7: Measure and report publicly on progress to create gender equality.

Gender equality is a basic human right, and it is also fundamental to having a peaceful, prosperous world. Gender equality is when people of all genders have equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities. Everyone is affected by gender inequality - women, men, trans and gender diverse people, children and families. It impacts people of all ages and backgrounds. Gender identity is how a person feels and who they know them self to be when it comes to their gender. There are more than two genders, even though in our society the genders that are most recognized are male and female (called the gender binary) and usually is based on someone’s anatomy (the genitals they were born with). This is gender assignment and it is based on an assumption that someone’s genitals match their gender. However, gender isn’t about someone’s anatomy, it is about who they know them self to be. There are many different gender identities, including male, female, transgender, gender neutral, non-binary, agender, pangender, genderqueer, two-spirit, third gender, and all, none or a combination of these. Gender inclusion is a concept that transcends mere equality. It’s the notion that all services, opportunities, and establishments are open to all people and that male and female stereotypes do not define societal roles and expectations. While the country has made dramatic strides in narrowing the gap between the sexes, statistics show that prevalent challenges exist, and we must address and eradicate them before our society can achieve true gender inclusion. Promoting gender inclusion through the creation of demonstrative examples of the concept in action is of the utmost importance as we strive toward this goal.

Sources- Various, Britannica, Wikipedia.