How to empower the women in your life

Empowering women has never been more important. But while we can all agree we need to do so, there’s rarely discussion about the practical ways we can empower the women in our lives. From raising your voice to charitable donations, there are myriad small ways you can support the women around you.

From marches to social media campaigns, women are raising their voices and calling out sexual harassment, inequality and injustice. This is unprecedented—a global effort to empower women worldwide—and the #TimeIsNow to add your voice to the cry.

Whether you’re a seasoned advocate or simply engaging in everyday conversation, your voice is your most powerful asset to empower women. By speaking up against sexist comments, jokes, implications and outright accusations, you can spread awareness and break down barriers. Sexism is intrinsic and insidious; it requires constant effort to end the perpetuation. What may seem harmless can be polarising and damaging to the perceptions of women around the world; call people out on their sexism.

Support each other in the continued call for equality: educate your fellow women on the insidious nature of sexism and how ingrained it is in all of us; explain how unchecked sexism affects women in their daily lives; believe sexual assault survivors; support the female entrepreneurs in your community; help each other navigate legal systems; encourage women to stand up for equality and have each other’s back when doing so. Lend a hand, an ear, a voice to support the women in your life and support yourself—don’t beat yourself up for sexist thoughts if you have them. Some things are so deeply ingrained we don’t realise they’re outdated and potentially harmful. Recognise them and resolve to move on.

Share the burden of the second shift—according to the United Nations, women carry out at least two and a half times more unpaid household and care work than men. Thus, they have less time to engage in paid work, or work longer hours, combining paid and unpaid work. Their efforts often make up for the lack of social services available and subsidises the cost of care sustaining families and communities; the simplest way to empower women is to share all the unpaid work between men and women so they can both thrive, rest, work and feel empowered.

Educate your friends, family and children: education is key to achieving gender equality. By empowering young advocates and educating everyone on women’s rights, we can change attitudes and ensure a better future. Use social media to its full advantage, sharing your stories and amplifying the voices of others who do: #MeToo and #TimesUp are the most famous social media waves, but different countries have more localised women’s rights movements. Follow them and support the brave women standing up for us all.

Empowering women is a responsibility we all share and it can be as simple as picking up a coffee for the new mum in your office feeling exhausted and overwhelmed; refusing to laugh at a rape joke and calling someone out about it; donating to movements and organisations around the world like the United Nations and World Vision; encouraging your daughter to work hard at school; sponsoring a child somewhere far from you or in your community; standing up for women when they can’t do it for themselves—there are myriad ways to empower the women in your life.

By starting in small ways to empower the women around you, you’ll be the example for other women to do the same and the effects will snowball. Be a role model and help the women in your lives thrive. ■