Women's empowerment

[18] Having a right to their land gives women a sort of bargaining power that they would not normally have; they gain more opportunities for economic independence and formal financial institutions.

Patricia Parker argues that African American women's empowerment is their resistance to control, standing up for themselves and not conforming to societal norms and expectations.

[22] Microfinance institutions aim to empower women in their community by giving them access to loans that have low-interest rates without the requirement of collateral.

Microfinance institutions do not address cultural barriers that allow men to still control household finances; as a result, microcredit may simply be transferred to the husband.

[12] Further recommendations have been made to increase women's rights to vote, voice opinions, and the ability to run for office with a fair chance of being elected.

[8] Because women are typically associated with child care and domestic responsibilities in the home, they have less time dedicated to entering the labor market and running their businesses.

[27][28] António Guterres, the secretary-general of the United Nations mentions that women can gain knowledge, wisdom, and insights only if they are included equally in all aspects of society.

[32] In April 2023, WIPO Director General Daren Tang announced the organization's commitment to closing the gender gap and empowering women and girls around the world by encouraging them to utilize their intellectual property rights to support economic growth: "Our data shows that women are using the global intellectual property system less than men.

[35] Women with digital skills are better able to make their voices heard on local issues and influence the outcome of decisions that affect themselves and their communities.

[35] Studies show an Iraqi women's group used a multimedia campaign, including an online component, to successfully lobby the Kurdish regional government to outlaw the practice of female genital mutilation.

For example, some research indicates that women only have an equal chance to have their written work published in peer-reviewed journals if the sex of the author is absolutely unknown to the reviewers.

[39] "Women must be recognized as, and supported to be, equal spokespersons vested with the authority to determine which of the community's traditions are to be respected, protected and transmitted to future generations.

[44][47] Conflict commonly arises in situations where community members attempt to build relationships with external power figures like government representatives.

[47][46] Fostering a space for collaboration as well as deliberation of conflicting ideas is important because sorting out disagreements[47] allows for the formation of trust between the parties.

[45] In addition, conflict individually benefits the women participants because it fosters problem-solving skills[47] and opens them to a new pool of knowledge and perspectives on society.

Adopted by the United Nations, the WEF is a tool kit to achieve women's empowerment, plan and monitor the development of women-related programs and projects worldwide.

There are five dimensions of WEF that emphasizes the commitment to women's empowerment and gender equality: welfare, access, conscience, participation, and control.

It occurs most frequently in business, trade, banking and finance, sales and marketing, hospitality, civil service, lecturing, teaching, and education.

[56] According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), sexual harassment is a clear form of gender discrimination based on sex, a manifestation of unequal power relations between men and women.

Gender-related barriers involve sexual harassment, unfair hiring practices, career progression, and unequal pay where women are paid less than men are for performing the same job.

The average earnings for working mothers came out to even less—$0.71 for every dollar a father made, according to 2014 study conducted by the National Partnership for Women and Children.

[58] Women are put in a position where they need to make the decision of whether to maintain in the workforce or have children, which has led to the debate over maternity leave in the United States and many other countries in the world.

The Pursuit of Gender Equality: An Uphill Battle was released at the Women's Forum in Paris to highlight the issue (according to a global OECD report).

[60] There are three significant gender imbalance that pose challenges in managing a sustainable environment:[60][61] Land is important to cultural identity and ensures resources for daily survival such as food, housing and income.

[60] According to a 2023 FAO study, half the countries reporting on Sustainable Development Goal Indicator 5.a.2 have weak legal protections for women's land rights.

[59][60] Human Rights Watch claims that a lot of women all across the world are faced to toxic environment at work where they encounter a variety of unwanted sexual acts.

[60] A barrier to women's growth value and a factor in the discrimination of jobs based on gender is the fear of enduring violence at work.

[63] In particular, education empowers women to make choices that improve their children's health, their well-being, and chances of acquiring survival skills.

According to a study done by the University of California, Los Angeles, medical patients who read and write about their disease are often in a much happier mood and more knowledgeable than those who do not.

[75] In 2017, when the #AintNoCinderella hashtag emerged, it went viral after Varnika Kundu (a 29-year-old woman in India) was driving home past midnight on August 4 when she was followed and harassed by two men in a SUV.