Lot of misconceptions surround the notions of women empowerment, feminism and gender equality
- It is highly imperative that to achieve a progressive humanity, we must ensure socio-economic progress of women
Raphic Burdo
Humanity can achieve its due place in the worldly scheme of things only if it moves ahead in totality. It may be pretty difficult to reach and sustain at the pinnacle of progress while keeping one half of humankind chained to primitive ages. Women, being inalienable part of human existence, has undeniable role in development and prosperity of our world. Lot of misconceptions surround the notions of women empowerment, feminism and gender equality. Due to these misunderstandings humanity in general and women in general have suffered immensely. It is about time humans are taken as one and integral entity. Without this totality physical, social, psychological, political, economic and spiritual barriers would continue to undermine human desire for the best possible life on the planet earth.
Why Women Empowerment is important or Importance of Women’s progress?
Since humanity is not putting its hundred percent of potential to use hence quite a lot of issues affecting human life are still unresolved. Poverty, unemployment, pollution, diseases, illiteracy and so many other socio-political and economic problems are still keeping us from achieving the maximum benefits of our mortal existence. These are not insurmountable afflictions. Once all the humans exhaust the possibilities of their mortal existence these barriers would disappear like plagues and famines of the bye gone days. Not only that women should be enabled to utilize their full potential their mental faculties but so many men are deprived their capacity building due to illiteracy, poverty, diseases and disasters. Millions of Sub-continental girls end up their life without even once being to school. Similarly, hundreds of thousands of boys in Sub-Saharan Africa pass into adulthood and beyond while living on less than a dollar a day due to grinding and abject poverty.
Women’s progress in these regions would surely have reduced the intensity of malaise that they are suffering from to this day and age.
How would women’s progress affect human progress or Effects of women progress?
It may be trite but true that education of a female means education of a family. There is well researched evidence able now that infant and maternal mortality in households with educated mothers is significantly low. A literate mother is most likely to keep her kids healthy and educated. If we resolve humanity’s problems related to health and education it almost means fifty percent of problem has been taken care of. It is because an educated and healthy individual is a productive individual. Napoleon was right in demanding educated mothers for creating a great nation. Truly, the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world. It is, therefore, highly imperative that to achieve a progressive humanity we ensure socio-economic progress of women.
What are barriers to women empowerment?
Granting women their due place in social scheme of things may not be an easy affair. There are multitude of factors that have hitherto kept us behind and they would continue to resist any alteration in the apple cart of status quo. The greatest barricades that are coming in the way of assigning women their due place are more socio-psychological than economic, political, religious, legal or financial. Women have lived in subservience for such a long era that they are taking secondary role almost unquestionably. Besides, male members of society too have nearly forgotten that their female counterparts are endowed with equally capable brains as they themselves. This resignation and surrender to mental stereotypes has resulted in meagre resource allocation for the rise girl-power. In political sphere women have quite successfully established their credential across the globe. We have heads of states and governments in Asia, Africa, Europe and America who are as good or bad as their male comrades in the comity of nations. Women, some commentators very vehemently argue, have added compassion to otherwise ruthless real politick. No religion can thrive by condemning half of population to serfdom and slavery. Hence all religions have very vocal advocates of freedoms and opportunities for women. Only a tiny Minority of Hawks and have hardliners finds independent “other being” as digestible commodity. But, with the advancement of enlightenment, these species of tough talkers is nearing extinction.
How women can be empowered. Who would/can empower women?
There is a broad based understanding around the enlightened world regarding male-female equality and diversity. Communities, societies, nations and global representatives have already embarked upon the steps to ensure women inclusion at all stages from board room to parliament. Developed countries apart, even developing societies have started taking concrete measures to put bring their half of the population at par with their masculine halves. Irrespective of continental and religious divide, each and every society has unmistakably appreciated the undeniable need to equip mothers, daughters, sisters and wives with essential skills that can ensure them positions of privilege in each and every walk of life. Pakistan must not lag behind. The Muslim world too seem to have woken up to this sine qua non of modern day progress around the globe. A word of caution, here, for feminist enthusiasts and for disparages of human liberties would aptly sum up the whole argument. Empowering women does not mean disempowering men nor does it mean commodifying the female folks for sensual satisfaction of commercially driven business conglomerates. Women empowerment is to be aimed at creating not merely gender equality but its ultimate objective is to create, besides bringing in a fine balance between the status of two inseparable wheels of life, such a conducive and amicable socio-cultural environment where human are not discriminated against in the basis of their physical properties or immaterial gender related differences. Equality of opportunity for all is the only way to the absolute Liberty of all.
Read – Short Story: A Village Without Women
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Raphic Burdo is a poet and writer, hailing from a remote village of Sindh province of Pakistan
