Let's look at empowerment shall we? Empowerment is the process of creating opportunities for individuals so they get to be enlightened and independent. Now there is a popular saying making rounds amongst women in my country which goes, her money, her power. Basically, with empowerment, one gets to be financially free.
Unpopular opinion, I think that too much emphasis has been laid on women empowerment for too long because looking at how hard society advocates for the girl child, you will see that a gap has been created for the boy child to be left behind. You see this play out in some men having the laid back attitude and failing in their default duties/responsibilities as providers and protectors. I understand that women need to be empowered for a sustainable future of growth and development both in the family and the society at large. I am not against that but then, the energy that we use to advocate for women empowerment should be divided in the middle to create a balance. The other half should be invested into promoting accountability, responsibility and empowerment of the boy child because if we look at it critically, they need to be empowered more.
This is a personal observation/opinion which stems from my environment; women to a large extent and by default too, are very conversant, well informed and knowledgeable about their roles in the society. I have always opined that no woman is a liability when it comes to finance. A woman is a caregiver, a housekeeper and a provider.
From Ancient times, women went from farming their husbands farm lands with their children, engaging in sales of farm produce to occupying positions in corporate organisations and being actively involved in nation building. Women have never been liabilities and it's time that the boy child is given equal attention too.
Ideally, both genders have their roles at home and even in society. As such, when it comes to empowerment, it's highly important for the boy child to be just as empowered because when the woman deals with pregnancy and motherhood, someone needs to be in a better position to adequately provide for the family and this is where the man comes in.
There was a time I did school run for my daughter and noticed that three of the female teachers in her school were almost due for delivery. I started wondering how the school would cope during their maternity leave, not like the school had surplus teachers. One teacher going absent is doable, two is manageable but then three of them all at once becomes really challenging. Now, if men are just as empowered and the teacher gender ratio is equally balanced, that won't really be an issue.
One will chase a thousand but two will chase ten thousand. Again, they say two heads are better than one. We see how women excel when being empowered. Now let's add an empowered man to balance the equation and sustainably spur more growth.
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