Gaining (or re-gaining) agency and control. According to the European Institute for Gender Equality, women’s empowerment is “a process by which women gain power and control over their own lives and acquire the ability to make strategic choices”. Women’s empowerment is a multidimensional process. It requires respect for human rights, non-discrimination, lack of gender-based violence, and equal access to resources, such as land, education, work, healthcare, legal assistance, etc. Women’s empowerment means “equal opportunity to pursue personal, social, and economic endeavours” for both women and men (FINCA, 2024). It is a fundamental step in the way of achieving gender equity. Women comprise more than 50 percent of the global population, yet they are widely underrepresented in decision-making processes. Women’s political and economic empowerment is an important requirement and component of democracy. Women’s empowerment is a life-long strategy that starts from the early years, by supporting girls’ education, protecting maternal health and infant care, and preventing early marriage and over-exploitation of girls. Currently, women’s empowerment is one of the leading postulates of the feminist movement.

Source: European Institute for Gender Equality, 2024, https://eige.europa.eu/publications-resources/thesaurus/terms/1246?language_content_entity=en; FINCA International, 2024, https://finca.org/our-work/womens-empowerment; Peace Corps, 2024, https://www.peacecorps.gov/educators-and-students/educators/resources/global-issues-gender-equality-and-womens-empowerment/