REDEFINING
WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT: AWID’S COLLECTIVE POWER AS GLOBAL DEFENDERS OF WOMEN HUMAN RIGHTS
(A Woman Warrior’s
Perspective And Tribute To All Women
Of The World)
I am a proud AWID (Association for Women’s
Rights in Development ) member. It is an eye-opener to me. I found a safe pool
of lived gender equality. Its goals and priorities include resourcing women's rights,
economic justice, challenging religious fundamentalisms, women human rights defenders,
and young feminist activism. To wit: ‘’The Association for Women's Rights in
Development (AWID) is a global, feminist membership organization. For over 30
years we have been a part of the incredible ecosystem of women’s rights
movements working to achieve gender equality, sustainable development and
women's human rights worldwide.’’
Vision: ‘’A world where human rights and
freedoms, environmental sustainability and gender justice are a lived reality
for all people and the planet.’’
Mission is to be a driving force within the
global community of feminist and women’s rights activists, organizations and
movements, strengthening our collective voice, influencing and transforming
structures of power and decision-making and advancing human rights, gender
justice and environmental sustainability worldwide. ‘’
AWID becomes a driving force for women’s empowerment
and solidarity. It caters a home of collective efforts and voices of women from
different parts of the globe to regain the power, for humans, for young girls, for wives and for
leaders.
I can still remember the historical question
from the 1994 Miss Universe pageant held in Manila, Philippines, ‘’ What is the
essence of being a woman’’?, there and then, it became my ‘’leading role framework’’ or somewhat a
cross-question at the same time cross-examination to myself as a feminist, as a female educator and
researcher. It became a challenge in my life. A brick of point to prove worthy
of.
I am no goliath to perform famed accountabilities
in our modern times. I am no queen regnant of the society, not even a
transformed legend or a public figure in
Urduja’s town. My take is, a woman’s perspective should have a place in a
healthy premise not demise. A call for transformative valuing for women.
Empowerment goes hand in hand with solidarity.
‘’Empowerment refers to increasing the spiritual, political, social or economic
strength of individuals and communities. It often involves the empowered
developing confidence in their own capacities. ( Lisa Whatley, The Official
Guide to Empowerment)
Let’s reflect on how Saint John Paul II shared
his views, ‘’ Solidarity is about valuing our fellow human beings and
respecting who they are as individuals. We are all one family in the world.
Building a community that empowers everyone to attain their full potential
through each of us respecting each other's dignity, rights and responsibilities
makes the world a better place to live.’’
On the other hand, Pope Francis said, “The many situations of inequality,
poverty and injustice, are signs not only of a profound lack of fraternity, but
also of the absence of a culture of solidarity. New ideologies, characterized
by rampant individualism, egocentrism and materialistic consumerism, weaken
social bonds, fuelling that “throw away” mentality which leads to contempt for,
and the abandonment of, the weakest and those considered “useless’’.
Hence, respect one another, empower everyone.
Women’s voices at home and in community sound
soporific before to those who had undergone violence, traumatic incidence, discrimination
and ostracism, but nowadays, not anymore. There are millennial goals in
development to fight these struggles.
Women need equal access to education, research
and innovation; economic freedom and development, productive contributors in
arts and cultural programs, political leadership, proper health monitoring,
constructive mobilization and networks to provide multilingual table for all,
including young girls, female single parents, mothers, senior citizens and the
LBTQ community.
Women are actors, potentially equipped with power.
We are women of today, of the millennium and beyond.
We, too, can shape, build, move a home, a
society and a nation.
CAROLINE NAZARENO-GABIS
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