Motivational Speech on Women Empowerment: Myth or Reality?

Today, in contrast to the past centuries, we find women literate, educated, and liberated to lead. We find their surge forward not only in the political front, but also in social life where they act as agents of change contributing to economic development as well.

The term empowerment naturally presupposes a sense of powerlessness; doesn’t it? Well, with women it has been rightly so. As we look back at the centuries we find many dark ages where women in different lands were suppressed, treated as commodities, with no voice in decision-making and no role in deciding how social and community life evolved. But empowerment of women made a radical change in the whole situation.

And this change has come about not without its struggles and sacrifices, protests and conflicts. This transformation passed through many difficulties when those who led with a vision to emancipate women were often viewed with suspicion from within the ranks of women themselves and opposed by the male-dominated hierarchies. Even today there are ripples and reflections of these tendencies. One can never say the world has seen gender equality and rights of women championed in the fullest sense.

But change did come.  From powerlessness, women have come to recognize that they are individuals made in God’s image and likeness just like men; and are valuable and precious in God’s eyes. They have come to celebrate their differences from men not as a reason for subjugation, but as a joyous gift of God to give an active support and contribution to the family first, to the workplace next and the community at large in a broader sphere.

In all these areas women have risen to greatness and power by utilizing available resources and increasing their influence in the decision-making process. The key to this change has been literacy and education. Economic freedom came through women finding employment in different spheres like nursing, teaching, management, and the like. Today, women have made their presence felt in the field of police, defence, sports, space exploration, research and development, social work, and many other fields as well.

But all this was not enough as they had to have a political empowerment which especially came through right for women to vote through some tough campaigning. Emmeline Pankhurst who helped women win the right to vote in Britain cannot be forgotten. Perhaps a day will come when the most awaited 33% reservation for women in the Indian Parliament would become a reality. If that happens it will be a grand day when the the voice of women will ring out more loud and clear in the central hall of the world’s largest democracy.

Personally, I have been motivated by many examples where empowerment of women is first of all felt by the masses through the vision of a pioneering lady. Be it Florence Nightingale who made nursing into such a structured and noble profession, Ida Scudder who in response to witnessing three tragic deaths of women in childbirth in Tindivanam in a single night in the late 1890’s responded to the challenge and heard God’s call to become a missionary doctor and establish the reputed Christian Medical College (CMC Vellore, first started for women), Amy Carmichael, who dyed her skin with dark coffee to make her skin brown to gain access to and acceptance with young girl children and rescued hundreds of them from a life of forced prostitution in Dohnavur, Pandita Ramabai, a scholar in Sanskrit who saved the lives of thousands of women in famine struck times through her Mukti Mission in Pune; the list goes on. Today, the need is to have women with such vision and burden for the upliftment of women.

There are countless examples in modern times; Malala Yousafzai is one young voice many listen to today. Her courage and words inspire; and she emphasizes the importance of education as a means of women empowerment.

I am sure there are several other names that come to your mind even as I speak. Indira Gandhi, Prathibha Patil, Rani Lakhsmibai of Jhansi, Kalpana Chawla, Indra Nooyi, Kiran Bedi, Arundathi Bhattacharya, Bachendri Pal, the list goes on. If you recognized some of these names, it is simply because women have learned to lead, have challenged existing norms of society and have taken a proactive role in changing traditions and rewriting history. Surely, women empowerment is a reality; isn’t it? I am sure you are compelled to agree.

Now let me point out that social reformation alone is not just enough for women empowerment. The mind-set of society also has to keep pace. To ensure this transition, laws had to be enacted. Several laws have been enacted to ensure the safety and protection of women especially in the workplace.

But there is hope. The voice of women will still be heard loud and clear in spite of attempts to silence them. More stories of women empowerment are being scripted in every village and city not only in our state and nation but across the boundaries. It can very well be the transforming reality of the present. Thank you.

Bejoy Peter, Performance Coach