6 Ways We Can Empower Women and Girls Around the World

Written by Kaitlin Murray

The cover image shows me teaching a class of girls at Project Soar Morocco about the Syrian refugee crisis.

 

“We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back. We call upon our sisters around the world to be brave – to embrace the strength within themselves and realize their full potential.” – Malala Yousafzai

In our world today, too many girls and women are not empowered to reach for their dreams and discover their full potential. All around the world, millions of girls and women are still at the margins of society and don’t have the chance to raise their voices. As empowered women ourselves, we have a responsibility to empower other women and show them how powerful they can truly be. We have the responsibility to inspire them to realize all of the brilliance and beauty that lies within them that they never knew they had. Here are 6 ways to empower girls and women in your community and around the world:

 

Painted by Cassidy Murray

Support Education for Girls

Globally, 65 million girls around the world are not in school for multiple reasons including conflicts, child labor, child marriage, natural disasters, and other things that could prevent them from furthering their education. We know that we can no longer leave the girls of the future generations without education, for with knowledge we can change our communities and the world. By educating girls, we give them the knowledge, skills, and empowerment to live the life of their dreams and contribute to leading the world towards peace.

Use your voice to fight against child marriage and child labor

It is said that about 1 in 5 girls in the world are married before they are 18 years old and if it continues at this rate, the number of women married as children will be 1.2 billion by 2050! Child labor is a major problem around the world as it prevents girls from having access to knowledge and many times forces them to spend their childhoods working in their homes. By every single one of us raising awareness within our communities, through the internet, or through volunteer work, we can help to reduce these things and empower more girls to live different lives.

 

Let girls know their rights 

Too many girls around the world are told that they aren’t worthy or good enough to either get an education, a job, or reach for their dreams. One of the key steps in empowering girls and women is to let them know their fundamental human rights and their right to live the life they desire. By empowering them to not only know their rights but to fight for their rights as well, we can raise a whole new generation of girls that are determined and driven.

So many girls and women around the world want to raise their voices and share their own opinions, however many are afraid of threats or repercussions from others in their families or communities. As a global community, we need to create more opportunities for young girls to take leadership roles and have a chance to speak their minds.

 

Support women in your community by investing in women-run businesses 

Find local businesses in your community run by local female entrepreneurs and support them with their work. We can all contribute to empowering women in our own communities, and the more local women entrepreneurs there are, the more young girls will be empowered to go down that path as well.

Support and encourage the women in your life

All girls need a support group, family, or community around them to inspire and encourage them. Start by empowering the girls in your own life by telling them you believe in them, motivate them to follow their dreams, and support them in any way possible.

 

How do you inspire and empower women and girls in your daily life? 

 

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