Empowerment, according to Oxford Languages, has two definitions: authority or power given someone to do something and the process of becoming stronger and more confident, especially in controlling one’s life and claiming one’s rights. The second definition is probably the one we are most familiar with and the one that applies the most here.
So, what does an effective empowerment process look like? According to the journal BMC Public Health, an effective empowerment process requires the involvement of both the community and its individuals. Therefore, how empowered an individual is shapes how empowered a community is.
In this article, we will discuss five ways that individuals can empower themselves, and in turn, empower their communities.
Pursue Your Education & Ambitions
According to campaignforeducationusa.org, education decreases poverty, provides employment opportunities, delays marriages, improves health, and increases political participation. Therefore, if you want to feel empowered and influence your community, then pursuing an education is a good start. If you think you've already fulfilled yourself in terms of traditional education, another way you can empower yourself is to foster a love for learning by pursuing interests and passions outside of an academic setting. Learn a new skill, audit online courses, learn a new language, start planning your new project- the possibilities are endless.
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Practice Kindness
Kindness has the power to not only to make you feel good, but it also has the power to change lives. For example, in 2019, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern sent financial assistance to help families that were affected by the horrific attacks on Christchurch mosques and passed legislation to ban most semi-automatic weapons. Obviously, you don’t have to be the Prime Minister of New Zealand to be kind, but if someone is struggling and suffering, an act of kindness can never hurt.
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Participate in Politics
According to the Ace Project, political participation has the power to bring democratic values to life and leads to the overturning of authoritarian practices. Therefore, if you vote, participate in protests, and find other ways to get involved in politics (like maybe running for office), you have the power to not just make a difference in your own life, but also make a difference in the lives of others.
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Practice Self-Care
The self-care movement is huge right now and for a good reason. You can’t expect yourself to feel empowered if you don’t take care of yourself. And you can’t expect others to feel empowered by your actions if you are pouring from an empty cup. So, get some sleep, read a book, exercise, and do what you need to do to fill yourself up and soon you will be able to empower others as well.
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Prepare a Plan
Just like you have to plan other aspects of your life, you also need to have a plan to empower yourself. According to plannersnetwork.org, “Empowerment is essentially a capacity to define clearly one’s interests and to develop a strategy to achieve those interests.” So, if you want to empower yourself and others in your community, you need to have a plan to direct your actions towards creating effective solutions for whatever you want to do.
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We hope that these methods for self-empowerment are helpful, and always remember that you have the tools to change your life and change others lives. Be sure to follow codeHER on social media, subscribe to the newsletter, and visit the blog regularly to read our latest posts!