Women empowerment can be defined as the promotion of women’s sense of self-worth, their ability to determine their own choices, and their right to influence social change for themselves and others. It is an effort toward making women see themselves as being as important as the men, in any given space in society. When women are empowered, they cannot be seen as subdued citizens who must be subjected to their male counterparts. The world needs to invest in the empowerment of women to curtail the problem of gender discrimination and inequality. 

What are the ways to engender women’s empowerment for sustainable development and unity in society?
Firstly, education should be provided and promoted for the female gender. This will foster awareness among women so that they can stand upright to demand what is rightfully theirs. This is not limited to school education alone; relevant pieces of training and professional developments should be made available for women, to equip them with the capacity to function on the ladder of nation-building and not be set aside by their male counterparts. Awareness is a necessary aspect of empowerment; to empower women, they must be educated.

Secondly, there should be a policy that incorporates women into key leadership positions in society. This means that women can be empowered through their appointments into the spheres of leadership where they can participate in the processes of decision-making and policy adoption. This will give them the voice they deserve and afford them the necessary ability to make decisions that favour their course. The idea that women shouldn't be allowed to lead in key positions should be discarded in our modern world. 

Thirdly, women should be afforded the same social privileges that men enjoy. There shouldn't be any form of gender discrimination that relegate women to the background or exclude them from enjoying their social rights. This means that on no account should women be denied the privileges of employment, job contracts, financial dividends or other social securities. Women should be allowed to establish their businesses and engage in their trades at any point they demand. 

Also, women can be empowered when they are afforded the opportunities to participate in nation-building and development. They should be allowed to play their parts in the military, sports, tourism, industry and other vital programs that make up for national integration. Some women have won global awards and brought glory to their home countries. An example of this is the woman Tobi Amusan who just broke a world record and brought a global honour to her country Nigeria. This shows that women have great roles to play in the building of every nation. If more women are empowered, it will foster growth and development in the world. 
In conclusion, women's empowerment should be a priority for every nation, government and policymakers. There shouldn't be a time when women are subdued and allowed to suffer suppression. Women empowerment should be a vital necessity to be addressed and encouraged at every point in time. It should be our dream and goal to empower women in every society. 


Daniel Ayodele