Empowerment for all genders is imperative for social progress and for a peaceful and prosperous world.
Unfortunately the progress has been limited in terms of gender equality and women’s rights.
When we speak of empowerment, we speak of realizing and acknowledging one’s sense of self-worth, the right to be able to make independent choices, to have equal access to all opportunities, the right to control one’s own life and the ability to make an impact on social change.
While tackling the issues which are a serious obstacle to women empowerment, we as a society ignore the more rooted question of “Why not empower men to empower women?”
No, we do not mean that we empower men in the conventional way of giving them any more power of control than a woman but rather empower them to challenge the existing norms followed by a patriarchal society.
What are These “norms”?
Men have been under this view since times immemorial that they must be dominating in order to prove their manhood. In fact, it seems normal for most men to exercise control over women or act tough and strong when in reality the need for them might be to take a stand towards being more empathetic and supportive.
Unfortunately, when men do not resort to such “norms”, they are belittled by our very own society. Challenging men to sway from these norms is not a challenge to men alone but also to those women who intentionally or unintentionally allow men to behave in a way that suppresses the rights of such women.
The Importance of Involving Men in Women Empowerment
Gender equality is a human right. By empowering one gender, we do not intend to defy the other but unfortunately, women who have been subjugated to harsh consequences of certain men’s behavior goes to show how greatly would it contribute to women empowerment if these sections of men were empowered to be more understanding, human and empathetic towards the given situation.
Men play different roles in every woman’s life and therefore, we would like to shed light on how these men can make an impact and empower women if they could empower their own actions.
Men as Partners
By the image drawn from a general perspective of a typical man in our society, it would help a great deal if men were less possessive and avoided pushing their insecurities and egos on their women partners.
Hence, to be more respectful of her as well as of her boundaries and beliefs. Don’t make women a subject of any physical or emotional abuse because no prudent person would want their partner to suffer. There must be equal affection and equal respect.
Men as Workers
Arguably, with men occupying the top positions of executives and other managerial positions in the workplace, women tend to feel disempowered.
Women face discrimination and harassment in terms of being bullied, belittled, dejected, sexually harassed and face a slower career progression along with a less pay scale to face. All this added to the additional emotional and physical distress.
Men need to understand that this open work space discrimination needs to be called out and women deserve the credits at office when they are probably equally conducive to the results at work with what they do compared to men. As the saying goes, “great women are supported by equally great men.”
Men Raising Families
One must not forget that men have a mother, a daughter, a sister, a wife, all women playing important roles in their individual lives and what they face at home is what they carry with them throughout their life.
Be grateful to the wife who cooks for you after a tiring day, teach your daughter something she will remember you for, look after your mother for the million things she did to guard you in your youth. But more importantly, be a leading example for the men in your life to treat your women with the respect and dignity they deserve. Teach them to be supportive, helpful and appreciative of women.
Conclusion
By this article, we are not implying that anyone is flawed but rather we intend to send across the message that the way together is the way forward.
Evidently, around the globe, men occupy powerful decision-making positions in all key sectors, such as in the financial, executive, economic decision-making, media, academia, and the judiciary. The involvement of all ‘humans,’ regardless of the gender they identify with, is necessary to have a future which is open and free of any inequality.
