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Breaking Stereotypes: Women Empowerment in the 21st Century


                                                   

 Author, DR. FREDERICK KOJO GBAGBA

SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Email : gbagbaf@yahoo.com



 Introduction

The concept of stereotype is frequently used to refer to mostly an untrue and unfair belief and description several people have about all other people or things with a particular characteristic. 

In the annals of human history, women have been known to be confined by several societal expectations as well as gender stereotypes. Women have and continue to face several stereotypes ranging from personality traits to domestic behaviours and occupations to physical appearance. Gender stereotypes start from the early days of life when for example girls are expected to play with dolls whereas boys play with trucks; at the youth days when boys are said to be better at STEM than girls; and, as adults, women are known as natural nurturers and men are known to be natural leaders. 

However, these changes have been witnessed, and many more gender stereotypes are being corrected or broken. In the 21st century, there has been a remarkable improvement in breaking these stereotypes; women are breaking several traditional gender roles and are now forging new ways. 

This new path cannot be discussed without pinpointing the contribution of women's empowerment in the 21st century. This article explores the intricate dynamics of women’s empowerment in the 21st century, looking into various areas where women are breaking stereotypical boundaries and making important strides.

Redefining Roles in the Workplace

The corporate world has seen a seismic shift in contemporary decades, with several women taking up leadership positions or roles across different industries. From the arts and finance to technology and science, women are challenging and breaking several stereotypes and proving what they can do.

 The 21st century can boast of influential women in the corporate world such as Alison Bechdel, Malala Yousafzai, Ellen Degeneres, Inna Braverman, Christian Amanpour, and several others. Women’s empowerment, according to several publications and reports, has contributed to a tremendous change in the corporate world and women are making great impacts in modern times. 

Many decades ago, this was not the case since the participation and contribution of women in the corporate world were limited and controlled by men. Today, many women stand tall in the corporate world, thanks to several women’s empowerment programmes, advocates and policies. Tricia Hind in a profound article impressively pronounced that “women are now found in occupations, industries and roles previously regarded as the sole prerogative of men”.

 Research has also shown that one of the greatest positive changes in the 21st century, enabling several women to thrive in the corporate world is changes in opportunities and options. Today, the corporate world provides several opportunities and options which allow women to thrive in the corporate world.

 According to Corporate Level Statistics, “women hold 23% of executive positions, 29% of senior management positions, 37% of manager positions, 42% of professional positions, and 47% of support staff positions globally”. This is an indication of how women continue to break gender stereotypes in the corporate world in the 21st century.

Education as the Catalyst for Change

In the 21st century, it can be attested that education has become the bedrock of women’s empowerment. Globally, several initiatives and policies are being formulated and implemented to ensure that females have equal access and opportunity to education. Governments and educational institutions around the world are formulating and implementing policies and strategies such as Affirmative Action to give more opportunities to women in the educational sector. Globally, through several women’s empowerment policies, strategies and advocacies, the world has seen the significance of education in breaking gender stereotypes and offering women more education opportunities. The importance of education to women’s empowerment and breaking gender stereotypes can be found in the wise words of Nelson Mandela which reads: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”. In the 21st century, it appears the world has taken these words seriously.

The link between women’s empowerment, gender equality and education cannot be underestimated. Research and publications have proven that women’s empowerment and education share an inseparable bond because education acts as the driving force for women’s empowerment. Education provides women with equal rights and access to opportunities, knowledge and resources which were initially reserved for men. This breaks gender stereotypes, enabling women to acquire the needed skills and competencies to fully participate in all domains of society. The 21st century has witnessed a surge in the education of females, starting from the girl-child. This has reduced gender bottlenecks women used to face such as early marriage and over-reliance on men, all of which enable the 21st woman to compete with men and thrive. Modern studies have proven that education has improved the cognitive abilities of modern women and now serves as a transformative force in the lives of many women.

 This in turn enables women in the 21st century to make informed decisions, break free from societal stereotypes and become agents of change. Thus, contemporary women are able to make better decisions about their family life, careers and health, which initially used to hinder them from becoming as successful as their male counterparts.

Challenging Beauty Standards and Body Image

One of the major gender stereotypes women face in society is about beauty standards and body type or shape. Society has carved a certain mental picture of what a ‘perfect woman’s’ body is or must look like. For a very long time, traditional media especially has portrayed this ideology, dumping the confidence and self-esteem of many women. However, through women’s empowerment movements and advocates, concepts such as body positivity are being championed to enable women to feel confident in whatever body type they have.

 The concept of women’s empowerment is now being used to encourage women to seek Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Selective Serotonin Inhibitors (SSRIs), etc. to enable them to feel confident in their beauty and body image. In the 21st century advocates of body positivity around the world such as Megan Jayne Crabbe and others are using various platforms to preach body positivity to enable women to feel confident in themselves. 

Additionally, modern brands and corporate bodies have started to take notice of this trend and have adjusted their advertising messaging to make all women feel comfortable with their products and services. This paradigm shift cannot be talked about without pinpointing how women’s empowerment has contributed to this. This has led to a reduction in the media’s portrayal of unrealistic beauty standards and body image, positively influencing women’s self-esteem.

Leadership and Political Empowerment

“A woman’s place is at home, not in politics; women are too emotional for leadership positions; women are not natural-born leaders; women leaders only focus on women’s issues, etc.”. 

These are some of the stereotypes about women being in politics and leadership roles. However, through women’s empowerment movements and campaigns, several women have had opportunities to be in politics and leadership positions. For instance, the world has witnessed influential women leaders such as Kamala Harris, Jacinda Ardern, Angela Merkel, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Elaine Zhou, Alissa Abdullah, Yamini Rangan, etc. 

The 21st century has seen a record number of women getting into leadership positions and politics due to women’s empowerment practices and strategies such as gender caucuses, women’s quotas, supporting women in leadership roles, Affirmative Actions, and capacity building. International organizations and countries are working tirelessly to get more women into leadership positions because there is more work to be done. Currently, it is reported that globally only 22 countries have women in the highest political positions/power and 25% of national parliamentarians around the world are women. In as much as this may seem little, it is however a huge improvement in how women were under-represented in decades past.

Empowering Women Through Entrepreneurship and Technology 

As stated earlier in this article, women’s empowerment has paved the way for women to get many opportunities in life and this includes the domain of entrepreneurship. The 21st century has seen many women entrepreneurs. This, according to several reports and studies, is largely due to the campaigns and advocacies of the proponents of women’s empowerment. The campaigns preached that women as the largest untapped reservoir of labour and talent in the world, drawing the attention of many women and corporate bodies to invest in businesses for women. Also, through women’s empowerment society has increased women’s access to resources, enabling many women to become successful entrepreneurs. Non-Governmental Organizations, Governments, and International Organizations around the world in the 21st century continue to empower many women entrepreneurs through funding, training and the provision of expertise.

Also, technological advancement in the 21st century contributes immensely to women’s empowerment and breaking gender stereotypes. Initially, women were thought not to be technologically good. However, the 21st has seen several women doing very well in technology, breaking decades of stereotypes in this regard. The advancement in technology also enables women in the 21st century to accomplish tasks that were difficult for women to do and this has further contributed to the entrepreneurial success of women in the 21st century. Women’s empowerment has also led to an increased number of females in STEM in the world.

Breaking Cultural Barriers

For decades, cultural barriers have been a huge stumbling block to women’s empowerment. Regardless, the 21st century has witnessed several societies and communities challenging as well as changing these stereotypes. From grassroots campaigns and movements to changes in legislation, societies and communities are dismantling several cultural barriers against women. Through women’s empowerment, societies have come to appreciate collaboration and cultural sensitivity are crucial to women’s empowerment and breaking gender stereotypes.

Conclusion

As the world navigates the 21st, the efforts and journey to achieve women’s empowerment are marked with resilience, progress, and collective action. The participation, influence and contribution of women in the 21st century can be witnessed in several spheres: from the political arena, corporate boardrooms, academics, STEM, etc. women are greatly rewriting their narratives and inspiring new generations. This makes the call to action very clear: we must continue to support and empower women in all domains of society to enable them to thrive more in their efforts to contribute to the progress of societies, communities and the world at large.

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