Let’s be real: we are a far cry from the days when women had to fight just for the right to cast a ballot. In fact, it’s safe to say World War II would have ended very differently—and the economy would have completely tanked—if not for the thousands of bad-ass ‘Rosie the Riveters’ who rolled up their sleeves and flooded the factory floors.
Women have fought hard for every inch of ground gained, but make no mistake: we aren’t at the finish line yet. Dismantling the social, cultural, and political hurdles that hold women back isn’t for the faint of heart, and it certainly isn’t a solo mission. True change happens when women across the globe lock arms and present a united front about our worth, our abilities, and our massive potential.
Want to be part of the shift? Here are five highly effective—and surprisingly simple—ways you can empower the women around you and push the needle forward:
1. Fuel Her Mind (Support Education)
In the States, the gender gap in education is actually flipping—women are now out-enrolling men in college and pushing through to graduation at higher rates. But step outside our borders, and the reality looks drastically different.
In many countries, school-age girls are the designated water-carriers for their families, burning daylight walking miles just to secure something to drink. Improving access to clean water doesn’t just save lives; it literally gives girls their time back so they can sit in a classroom. (You can help make this happen by supporting organizations like Charity: Water).
Then there’s “period poverty.” Astonishingly, this isn’t just an issue in developing nations. Nearly 1 in 5 American girls have missed school simply because they couldn’t afford period products, and 137,000 girls in the UK face the exact same hurdle every year. In parts of India, a heartbreaking 4 out of 5 girls drop out entirely once they hit puberty. You can change this by petitioning your local government to provide free sanitary products in schools—take a look at the Red Box Program to see how it’s done right.
When a girl finishes secondary school, she is less likely to experience child marriage, face domestic abuse, and suffer from long-term health complications. As a result, educated women and girls are more likely to have fewer, healthier children, who are then, in turn, more likely to get an education and pull themselves out of poverty.
2. Stand with Women in Crisis
Human trafficking isn’t just a plotline in an action movie; rates have drastically increased over the last few years. Millions of girls worldwide are still subjected to forced marriages, enslavement, and exploitation.
The good news? There is an army of agencies fighting back. They provide rescue, counseling, medical care, and the financial backing these survivors need to rebuild their lives from scratch. Donating your time or money to a vetted charity in this space is one of the most direct ways to fight for a woman’s basic freedom.
3. Look in Your Own Backyard
You don’t need a passport to find women who need a hand up. Poverty rates are climbing in many states, and underfunded schools are capping the potential of brilliant girls who just need a fair shot. Meanwhile, domestic violence remains a quiet, pervasive epidemic.
Want to take action today? Look up the women’s shelters in your city and ask what they need. Pro tip: advocate for them to start accepting pets. The fear of leaving a beloved dog or cat behind with an abusive partner is one of the primary reasons women delay making their escape.
You can also step up as a mentor. Organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters are always looking for people willing to share their time, listen, and help a disadvantaged girl realize what she’s capable of.
4. Vote With Your Wallet
Amazon will survive without your twenty bucks today. But the bakery down the street? Or that row of local boutiques? They rely on you. Many of the small businesses anchoring your community are run by local women and their families, and they are constantly battling to stay afloat against retail giants.
Take that same energy global by shopping from female artisans on Etsy. If you want to go a step further, fund a woman’s dream directly. Platforms like Zidisha allow you to provide microloans to female entrepreneurs in developing countries, letting you communicate with them directly as they build their businesses.
5. Speak Up — Unapologetically!
Use your voice for the women who are routinely silenced. Despite all our modern medical marvels, complications from pregnancy and childbirth are still claiming the lives of hundreds of thousands of mothers and newborns globally. Preventable issues like malaria and pneumonia are still devastating communities. You have the power to make noise about it.
Get involved with aid organizations, or better yet, go straight to the top. Flood your congressional representatives’ inboxes and voicemails. Demand that global women’s health remains a priority, and rally your friends to do the same. (Global Citizen is a fantastic resource if you need a place to start).
And Lastly…
Sometimes, the most empowering thing you can do for a woman is simply to see her.
Tell her you notice how hard she’s working. Write a quick thank-you note to your child’s teacher. Grab an extra iced coffee for that co-worker who looks like she’s carrying the weight of the world. If you’re a leader at your company, actively champion and promote the women on your team. You have the daily opportunity to make sure the women in your orbit feel fiercely valued, deeply respected, and completely unstoppable.
Thank you so much for taking the stance as a feminist, Hilary! We need positive leaders like you supporting the movement ? I’ve followed you for years, huge fan! ?
I needed this so much right now. It is so good to know there are people spreading this messages like you are. Thank you, Hilary, really you make me feel accompanied.
I always think in a positive way as much as possible. But sometimes I stop challenging because of the fear or the laziness and I blame that of myself… I know I have to try in order to get out of this situation, but I don’t have enough courage to do that… what should I do… 🙁 or what would YOU do in the same situation ?? Oh I know this may be just negative thoughts but I just want to ask you about your experience to empower myself ! 🙂
Thank you, Hilary. It’s so nice to hear all your empowering ideas and they are so helpful. Many women are indeed in need of information like this and I appreciate hearing it from you since you make it fun and show us how its done! (rhyming :)! As an FYI: I finally left a disempowering relationship although I helped him and he evolved much with me and wanted to go further with me, I had to say good bye as I could feel still how loads of my energy was going towards helping him maintain his balance and that was very draining to me. I intend to marry a supportive and helpful man someday who will be able to stand on his own feet and share his beauty with me consistently. Thanks for leading me there and appreciating this need for women and all of us to become more empowered!
Hilary, could you make an article on how you manage to stay motivated during times when you have a lot of work? I recently started a new job and it’s a lot of stress and work all at once. I’m very stressed and sometimes have a hard time calming myself down because my brain is overloaded with the stuff I have to do.
Excellent advice. Thanks! I am empowered not because I’m a woman, it’s because I know who I am and that I’m capable of whatever I desire.
You are a true woman. Thank you. I shared this for my people on FB. I seriously think that every women need to follow your blog. Thank you and bless you.
Kudos to you, Hilary! You are the epitome of strength and self empowerment! This message is applicable to both women and men. Women have been taught for centuries to stay in your place and stand quietly behind the man. Women, yes do support your man. You are the neck(strength) that helps to hold up and support that man. Furthermore, women must have the self-confidence, strength, knowledge and belief that they can be or do whatever is in their heart and soul to do. Our young ladies today need to stop feeling that they have to lower themselves in order to get the “wrong” attention from the “wrong” kind of men. When there is self love, you know that you are more than good enough to follow your dreams and make them into a reality. Men have the pressure of being the bread winner. When the right man and woman come together, their strength, love, respect and capabilities, make them both winners. Man, woman, you both deserve the best out of life and to be respected, loved and appreciated for who you are!
These are great tips on how to become an empowered woman. I loved all 5 of them and I will do my best to follow them. I just want to add that a good way that I stay connected to source which also inspires me is to find role models, other women who live the way that I want to by doing great works. You are empowering to me Hilary and I am sure that you do the same for many of the men and women who follow you. Have a great time in Monaco. So wish that I could live there too. Blessings & love.
Do you have a list of good literature you’d recommend around this topic? What are some of your favorites? Let’s start a positive book club. ✨