Ladies, it’s time we considered what we can do to become the most powerful and productive versions of ourselves.
At a time in history when we have more information accessible to us than ever before, it is true that every woman has the capacity to drive her life with self empowerment and the attainment of knowledge. It all comes down to the questions of “what can I do?” and “what do I want?”.
Certainly, we can take inspiration from strong women before us who have done exactly this.
We see Malala, who risked her life to defy the strict Taliban regime and champion women’s and girls' rights to education in disadvantaged countries.
We see Rosie Batty, who worked tirelessly to increase the profile of domestic violence and put the issue on the national agenda, after her son was tragically murdered by her former partner in 2014.
These women encapsulate the spirit of International Women’s Day; women who challenged norms with their brains and with their desire for progress.
What is self empowerment?
Every woman should apply the goal of building wealth in every aspect of her life; financial, physical, mental and emotional. This is the concept of self empowerment, and it has become so important in a society that increasingly emphasises self responsibility and independence across all areas of life.
Enhancing your financial literacy, for example, is an act of self empowerment in itself, as it leads to improved money management and the confidence to pursue business ventures and achieve financial independence.
Make self empowerment your new resolution
Becoming the best version of yourself takes time, resilience and determination. The most effective first step is being honest with yourself and meeting reality head on. Acknowledging our shortcomings opens us up to improvement and allows us to assume complete responsibility for ourselves.
When we aspire to become ‘future focused females’, we take steps to securing our futures and building long term prosperity. We embrace knowledge, learning and economic independence without the expectation that a man, society or the system should favour us in any way.
We don’t rely on the excuse of gender inequality or hierarchical systems limiting us. We are resourceful, lateral and tenacious in finding our own way forward.
We understand that collaboration rather than competition, compassion rather than judgement, co-operation rather than rebellion, and proactivity rather than complacency, is the way to become a great leader of ourselves and in turn, a great example of what is possible for all women.
Ghanian Diplomat and Nobel Peace Prize winner Kofi Annan leaves us with a perfect summation of what we can do by educating ourselves. “Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.”
So, this International Women’s Day, let’s celebrate how far we’ve come and fuel further progress by pursuing knowledge, and becoming financial and future focused females.