Women Economic Empowerment Summary
Women’s economic empowerment is defined as the process of attaining women’s equal control and access to the available economic resources and making sure that they use the said resources to improve other areas of their lives. I will summarize critical readings touching on this sensitive topic in an attempt to understand the concept of women’s economic development. The article titled “Gender-Responsive Equitable Agriculture and Tourism (GREAT)” is an excellent piece that explains the program GREAT, which was aimed at assisting the Investment Plan’s flagship initiative for the socio-economic development of women in north-west Vietnam. The GREAT program was part of the pillars agreed by both Vietnam and Australian governments for Australia’s bilateral Aid Investment Plan, which was expected to run from 2016 to 2020.
The GREAT program promotes the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Strategy, making it one of the most initiative programs in the women’s economic empowerment field. The main goal of this GREAT program creation was to ensure that the economic and social status of the women living in north-west Vietnam has improved significantly. The Great Program included women in economic empowerment through ensuring that women access the available waged employment opportunities. Also, it ensured the increase of household income diversification, provided training basically on how to start and run businesses aimed at supporting women and building the self-esteem and confidence of these women.
Secondly, the article titled “Women’s Empowerment (Longwe) Framework,” breaks down a framework developed by Sara Hlupekile Longwe based in Zambia as a development and gender consultant. In an attempt to help planners answer what the phrase women’s empowerment and equality meant in actual practice, the Longwe Framework was formed.
Longwe’s Framework attempts to broaden the concept of women empowerment by defining the concept as ensuring women to take the same place as men and be included actively and equally in the development process in order for them to take over control on factors of production in equal areas such as that of men.
Thirdly is the article titled “Improving economic outcomes for women,” by the Australian government. The article basically highlights the Australian government’s role and participation in improving the livelihoods of women in developing countries. In developing countries, women face many limitations in accessing the right livelihood and employment opportunities. Many of these women participate in informal trading and agriculture. The reality of the matter is they make very little from agriculture and trading, which makes most of them live in deplorable conditions. In attempting to improve their economic possibilities, The Australian government funds UN Women’s Safe Cities Program, which is responsible for enhancing the livelihoods of these women in many ways.
Finally, the article “TAKING PROBLEMS APART,” which emphasizes on the What’s the Problem? Approach. The approach talks about how basically the way we perceive or think about something affects what we believe should be done about it. In ‘The Problem of “Women’s Inequality,” the author highlights how, in the past and recent years, very little thought has gone on the problem of women inequality. There should be more thought put into the question and on how women are represented in the society.