Faria Sherwani

Women empowerment means giving women the same rights and opportunities as men. Around the world, women often face discrimination just because they are female. In many countries, women are treated as property, can’t inherit property, money, borrow loans, or even make decisions about their own lives. Many girls are not allowed to get an education or choose how they want to live.

Feminism is a movement that supports equal rights for women in all areas—social, political, and economic. It aims to ensure women have access to education, jobs, and the ability to make their own choices.

Women are often seen as cheap labor. Although they make up two-thirds of the world’s workforce and produce half of the world’s food, they are still underpaid and underappreciated. The biggest challenges women face are:

Lack of education, fewer job opportunities, lack of legal rights, domestic violence, lack of security and inequality.

From 2015 to 2020, lack of education was the biggest issue for women globally. In many countries, especially Afghanistan, and some African countries, violence against women was very high during this time.

In Pakistan, the situation is also serious. Women are often seen as men’s property. Every day, 3 to 5 women in Pakistan are victims of violence, including honor killings. This shows how deep patriarchy runs in society.

However, in cities, the situation is slowly improving. Urban women are more educated, hold better jobs, and earn higher wages than before.

Global research ranked Iceland as the best country for women’s rights. On the other hand, Egypt was ranked the lowest.

YOUR VOICE IS YOUR POWER

Fighting gender discrimination isn’t easy—it can be dangerous. But today, more people are aware of women’s rights, and many laws and organizations (NGOs) now work to protect and support women. Change is slow, but it is happening.

Read: Women Empowerment: Is it a Pipe Dream?

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Faria Sherwani is a second year student of Mass Communication at the University of Karachi, Sindh 

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