Female Intellectual Empowerment
Starting from a young age, girls are deprived of school in many countries which stunts their intellectual development. Many of these countries are underdeveloped, like Cambodia, Haiti, Palestine, Afghanistan, and Papua New Guinea. There are literally dozens of countries where girls receive lesser or no education compared to boys.
This trend doesn’t die out throughout growing up as many young women are deprived of carrying forth an education leading to a career. In its annual State of the World's Children report, UNICEF states an estimated 65 million girls are being denied basic education, increasing the likelihood they will live in poverty or die young.”
Female Intellectual Empowerment
Specifically, in underdeveloped countries, the intellectual spirit in young women is hindered. They are raised to believe their only purpose is to produce male children who will eventually make a difference in the world. This is where poverty throughout the women’s population. Not to mention, the average number of children in these regions is almost double compared to others.
Lack of education is one of the most difficult barricades for women to overcome. The need for education can prevent women from pursuing a life of their own.
Ironically, females are much better suited for school. As reported in the book Brain Sex, female brains are programmed to focus better and to be able to pay attention to many things at once. Of course, it is common for men to have a natural thirst for knowledge and discovery. However, in an increasing number of countries, it is more common for their female counterparts to excel in academia. Women graduate from university with an outstanding record of finishing their bachelor's degrees before men. 55% of Harvard women graduated with honors in 2014, compared to 45% of men! In many places in Africa, more women are enrolled in school and glow with a spirit for education. However, this spirit can be easily crushed when it is impossible for them to find jobs that hire a female and are thus forced to remain home-makers.
On the flip side, The Western female population has the luxury of being encouraged by their societies to have high achievements in school. They are able to apply their brain skills in order to excel in school, proceeding to any career of their choosing. 10% more females graduate university with job offers than males. It is here that we are able to see how the world could be thriving with educationally powerful women. An educated woman is a force to be reckoned with.
Keeping up with the Kardashians or keeping up with current affairs? More women in America subscribe to fashion and gossip magazines as opposed to the Washington Post and other news. In fact, some of the most popular magazine subscriptions include "Cosmopolitan," "Glamour," and "Good Housekeeping." Almost never in a supermarket line will you see "Time," "The Economist," or "Entrepreneur." One major instigator is that these women are raised in their society to believe that they must fall into a stereotypical role.
Many advertising products feature beautiful, popular, and often ditzy women! Fox News, one of the most tuned-in programs, models busty, blonde women who read from a screen projector. Furthermore, there is a consistent emphasis on motherhood at all times. The mother is expected to be the main caretaker- many people do a double-take when they hear the term "stay at home dad." Perhaps Western women are becoming more and more absorbed into these lifestyles because they feel the need to perfect society's modern expectations. One might think that if you chose to strengthen your mind, you will destroy your appeal and vice versa. It is okay to have friends and feel sexy, as long as there is a balance with intellectualism.
The goal is to thrive in both education and intelligent mindfulness. With the right combination, women could be the best thing that’s ever happened to this planet! In more underdeveloped countries, women seem to be more in tune with the world. They are typically up to date with politics and the effects of poverty.
The Way It Can Be:
If women throughout the world were to gain an education, it would lead to many other empowering aspects of femininity. Having experience in order to get a career can make a mountain of difference. Women would be able to thrive in their entrepreneurial ideas and become successful in not only the home but personal life as well. Scaling a healthy balance, women would also broaden their horizons and would become involved in (or at least, aware of) ideas beyond the individual.
Any business that promotes female education would qualify as supporting intellectual empowerment.
Grameen Bank: The Grameen Bank is an organization that helps propel struggling women forward. It provides tiny loans to poor women so that they are able to create their own businesses. It is done by a reverse conventional banking system based on mutual trust, accountability, participation, and creativity. Even more so, education is provided to the women who are in the program which allows them to succeed even further. Micro-lending is most prevalent in underdeveloped countries, and the outcome is that women are able to support themselves and are becoming more independent.
