On female empowerment
Ask
“What does the notion of female empowerment mean to you?” and you will
get all sorts of answers ranging from protection from abuse to economic
independence. I am all for empowering women in the sense of encouraging
them to fulfill career ambitions, climb up organizational ranks, and
freely express their thoughts in front of their male counterparts.
However, I do worry that in the process of empowering women, we may
devalue the strengths women have always shown: caring and nurturing.
When I was on holiday last month, I joined an event at The London School of Economics in which the university hosted Anne-Marie Slaughter, former head of policy planning at the US state department, to discuss her latest book Unfinished Business. I found her emphasis on the importance of caregiving to economics as well as national policy stimulating. I walked out of the hall wondering how we women can truly balance our caring and relationship side with our individual competitive side.
As an advocate of Saudi female empowerment, I do believe in the economic benefits of women joining the workforce, but I am writing to highlight the economic damage that would occur if we devalued that old strength. For example, hours spent in non-maternal care have a negative effect on children that persists throughout adolescence and plays a profound role in their socio-emotional adjustment and self-regulation. The caring and empathy women have always given and expressed to their families influence our society tremendously; hence, this should always stay in alignment with the idea of a powerful woman.
My first full-time job in Saudi Arabia was at an advisory services company in which I was the only female in my business unit. At times women would associate being professional with not “acting too feminine.” There were times when I was not sure whether I should wear my pale pink loafers, because I did not want to look very feminine vis-à-vis my male colleagues. I resisted my doubts and realized that female empowerment is nothing but a personal development project for each and every woman, and should not become a comparison between how women and men act in the business world.
In a country where women outnumber men in higher education, one should not doubt the capability of women to join the workforce; however, we do need to develop ourselves, just like every person in the world has to seek personal development to lead in the future. Personal development is personal. It varies from one person—and woman—to another, depending on the industry she works in, her future ambition and her personal obligations.
In developing, we should not overlook our strengths, but fortify them with further skills. We need to fight the prejudice regarding women’s capabilities and transform the image of female empowerment from the “empowering of a minority” into “personal development,” something men have been going through for decades.
Lama Khaiyat
(The author works in the strategy consulting field in GCC countries. She holds a degree in International Business from Grenoble École de Management in France.)
RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR
When I was on holiday last month, I joined an event at The London School of Economics in which the university hosted Anne-Marie Slaughter, former head of policy planning at the US state department, to discuss her latest book Unfinished Business. I found her emphasis on the importance of caregiving to economics as well as national policy stimulating. I walked out of the hall wondering how we women can truly balance our caring and relationship side with our individual competitive side.
As an advocate of Saudi female empowerment, I do believe in the economic benefits of women joining the workforce, but I am writing to highlight the economic damage that would occur if we devalued that old strength. For example, hours spent in non-maternal care have a negative effect on children that persists throughout adolescence and plays a profound role in their socio-emotional adjustment and self-regulation. The caring and empathy women have always given and expressed to their families influence our society tremendously; hence, this should always stay in alignment with the idea of a powerful woman.
My first full-time job in Saudi Arabia was at an advisory services company in which I was the only female in my business unit. At times women would associate being professional with not “acting too feminine.” There were times when I was not sure whether I should wear my pale pink loafers, because I did not want to look very feminine vis-à-vis my male colleagues. I resisted my doubts and realized that female empowerment is nothing but a personal development project for each and every woman, and should not become a comparison between how women and men act in the business world.
In a country where women outnumber men in higher education, one should not doubt the capability of women to join the workforce; however, we do need to develop ourselves, just like every person in the world has to seek personal development to lead in the future. Personal development is personal. It varies from one person—and woman—to another, depending on the industry she works in, her future ambition and her personal obligations.
In developing, we should not overlook our strengths, but fortify them with further skills. We need to fight the prejudice regarding women’s capabilities and transform the image of female empowerment from the “empowering of a minority” into “personal development,” something men have been going through for decades.
Lama Khaiyat
(The author works in the strategy consulting field in GCC countries. She holds a degree in International Business from Grenoble École de Management in France.)
RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR
