Why is gender empowerment needed?

The empowerment and autonomy of women and the improvement of their political, social, economic, and health status is a highly important end in itself. In addition, it is essential for the achievement of sustainable development.

Why is it important to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment?

Achieving gender equality requires women’s empowerment to ensure that decision-making at private and public levels, and access to resources are no longer weighted in men’s favour, so that both women and men can fully participate as equal partners in productive and reproductive life.

Why is women’s economic empowerment important for development?

When women have the right skills and opportunities, they can help businesses and markets grow. Women who are economically empowered contribute more to their families, societies and national economies. It has been shown that women invest extra income in their children, providing a route to sustain- able development.

What is the role of men in women’s empowerment studies?

The role of men in women’s empowerment is overlooked and to understand this, there should be more literature on men’s empowerment and masculinity construction. Women’s empowerment studies need to reflect the nuances of women’s life and this varies by context and includes studying men’s empowerment and perspectives.

What is the role of a husband in women’s empowerment?

The word empowerment is usually associated with women. Men have vital information to share on women’s empowerment and play a vital role in women’s sense of empowerment. A husband can make a big difference in encouraging or limiting women’s empowerment (Schuler, Islam & Rottach 2010: 12).

How should we measure women’s empowerment?

There are other areas of social life whereby women’s empowerment should be measured, including “formal producers’ organizations and savings and loan associations, funeral societies and other self-help groups, labour exchange groups, or civic and religious groups” (Malapit et al. 2019: 682).

What is the connection between men and women?

Men and women are connected through various structures, roles and responsibilities. These include gender norms that prescribe certain behaviour as normal and acceptable, and other forms of behaviour as inappropriate and non-desired. Men can feel entrapped in the same structural influences that define (and confine) femininity (Porter 2013).