5 Things Women Can Do To Empower Women
An empowered woman should always be seeking opportunities to empower women. The pressures of a competitive cultural environment can make it very easy to hide progress from others.
The truth is that when women support other women, they’re pouring value into a system that rewards both themselves and the entirety of their community. If you’re looking to make an effort in empowering other women here are 5 ways you can start today.
No woman should be operating as an island. Positive change can be suffocated by feelings of isolation, that what you’re experiencing is only happening to you. You might compare yourself to women of influence and feel that your story pales in comparison, but this is absolutely not true. While each woman is unique, the challenges and victories you have could resonate with any number of women in your immediate surroundings.
When you begin to open up and share, others will believe your success is possible for them too. Vulnerability and humility are two incredible catalysts for growth. In education, we can see the process of repeating information, and teaching fellow students helps reinforce concepts. As you empower other women through your journey, you might even see beneficial lessons or triumphs you’ve never noticed before.
2. Support women in the workforce.
As a very practical example, women should be supporting other women in the workforce. There are still hurdles in many industries and positions for women. Male dominant work cultures can reduce women’s confidence, causing them to underestimate the value that they can bring. Without a strong support system, some women might not experience the career aspirations that they’ve always hoped to.
Learn to back up the women around you. Encourage ideas in the conference room, offer assistance on a project, and provide constructive feedback whenever possible. When it comes to the gender pay gap that many women face, start combatting this by sharing salaries. By doing these things, you’ll build an empowering culture, one that you might find yourself needing to lean on in the future.
3. Build a network to help and encourage.
Even outside of the work environment, you should start to build networks to empower women. You’d be surprised by the variety of ways you could be a support for another woman, both in times of good and even the bad. We face new obstacles every day. When life happens, having a community to lean on could be the difference between success and failure.
The nature of success is that it will often have a mentor-mentee dynamic. Likely, you’ve been encouraged by someone in your life or maybe even someone you’ve never met, like an author or influencer. Begin to think of someone that you can encourage and build up. Like a ripple in the water, you’ll see your network grow as the women you empowered, begin to empower others.
4. Pass along opportunities.
With continued success comes opportunity. You never know what needs might cross your path, but likely you won’t be able to meet all of them. There might even be tasks, jobs, or activities that you don’t have an interest in. With your work and social networks active, begin to consider supporting women for these opportunities. A good old fashion e-mail chain or even Facebook group can be a simple but effective way to inform these women when an opportunity becomes available.
5. Remember to celebrate individuality.
Never forget that every woman’s journey will be unique, don’t get bogged down in evaluating one against the next. Teddy Roosevelt has a famous saying, “comparison is the thief of joy.” Every woman will have their own goals and purpose. What worked for you, may not always work for others, and vice-versa. Some women may be slower in their progression, while you may feel that others are surpassing you. Remember to always celebrate both.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you have a group of women you can begin to empower. If you don’t, start asking yourself what that might look like for you. Who are the women in your life now? Where and how might you find new women, you can pour into? From that first introduction, your journey of empowerment is sure to leave a lasting effect on the lives that you touch.