EMPOWERMENT

WOMEN
EMPOWERMENT
WHAT DOES IT
REALLY MEAN?
As women are key for local development, women
empowerment is a lever for change that needs to
be activated. But what is the definition of women
empowerment? To give a generic definition is difficult
as it is highly dependent on women’s personal,
economic and social situation within their community.
But in its guidelines for women empowerment, the
United Nations has provided the following overall
definition:
Women’s empowerment has five components:
women’s sense of self-worth; their right to have and
to determine choices; their right to have access to
opportunities and resources; their right to have the
power to control their own lives, both within and
outside the home; and their ability to influence the
direction of social change to create a more just social
and economic order, nationally and internationally.
Connected to each of these five components, is
an interesting perspective brought by Ecosystem
experts, beneficiaries and project managers.
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