How could I get rich?

How could I get rich?

If you want to get rich, here are seven “poverty habits” that handcuff people to a life of low income:

Plan and set goals. Rich people are goal-setters. ...

Don't overspend. ...

Create multiple streams of incomes. ...

Read and educate yourself. ...

Avoid toxic relationships. ...

Don't engage in negative self-talk. ...

Live a healthy lifestyle.

I found out my 6-year-old daughter isn’t biologically mine. What should I do? Should I continue raising her? Quora...

I found out my 6-year-old daughter isn’t biologically mine. What should I do? Should I continue raising her?

Let me share my brother’s story. It’s a bit long, so I apologize in advance.

When he was 20, he impregnated his former girlfriend. Or so we thought. I was still in high school at the time and some of the kids in school asked me if I knew about the “scandal/love triangle” between my brother, his gf, and some other dude. I didn’t know of the scandal, but I told my brother to get a paternity test. He didn’t, and he grew very upset when I pushed the matter. My mother shushed me as well. No one wanted to hear it, so I dropped it.

Four years later, my brother and the former girlfriend went to court over custody of my nephew. The former gf was clearly losing the fight and used the only card she had left: that my brother was not the dad.

My brother was crushed, to say the least. We all were. But we, brother included, quickly recovered and fought for my nephew. It didn’t matter to any of us that he wasn’t biologically ours. He was still ours. In the end, my brother was awarded primary custody, as the parent who provided insurance and stability for my nephew. My nephew loved my brother and we were so relieved. My brother was that little boy’s rock and vice versa.

Fast forward 9 more years: my nephew is 13 now. My brother is 33. He has worked tirelessly in a job he hates because it provides for his son. He forewent college, could not sign up for any branch of the military, nor travel because it would have taken him from his son. My brother has dated several women over the years and none have worked out for various reasons, but mostly because my brother comes with baggage. Not my nephew, per se, but my nephew’s mother. She is manipulative, difficult, spoiled (by her wealthy grandparents), and many other similar words but I’m sure you get the picture. My nephew’s mom badmouths my brother frequently in front of my nephew. She also badmouths anyone my brother dates, and my nephew has become as moody as his mother because he has heard things that no child should ever hear about his father. He openly dislikes anyone my brother dates. He has been brainwashed by his mother to think the way she does.

To make it worse, my brother pursued an opportunity to buy a fixer upper home and flip it for profit so he could buy a better home with property for himself and his son. But, unbeknownst to my family, in order to fix up the home, my brother wasn’t spending the time with my nephew that he should have been as the parent with primary custody. So now, my nephew’s mom has more than a year of documentation to prove that she has been the one taking care of my nephew every day and is petitioning for a change in custody status and back child support. My brother will have to pay $500 per month (or possibly more) until my nephew is 18 (or I think 23 if going to college, which my nephew will undoubtedly do).

My brother has made many, many sacrifices to remain the father of my nephew, regardless of DNA. But his life has been hell because of it. We love my nephew, he is one of the family. But it’s been really, really hard on my brother. And my brother will have to continue putting up with my nephew’s mom for the rest of his life. I know he loves his son, but I can tell the bond they once shared is strained. My brother’s ex has effectively turned my nephew against my brother.

My brother wants a life. He wants to move on, find love, have children of his own, and a home. But being a young single dad who has to coparent with a difficult ex, it has literally monopolized his life and severely limited my brother’s life choices.

He loves his son, yes. But sometimes, when his ex and his son are making life especially hard for him, I think he wishes he would have walked away when he had the chance.

Every case is different. I personally couldn’t walk away from a child I’d raised for 6 years. But really look at your situation and ask yourself what is best in the long run. I know you love that child. But can you coparent amicably with her mother? Because you may have a potentially hellacious and long road ahead if you choose to remain a part of that little girl’s life

GOD IS WALKING YOU THROUGH YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES. DON'T DESPAIR. FLOWERS ZA...

Just an Ordinary Woman

Just an Ordinary Woman

By Karin Steyn | Submitted On January 05, 2009




I want to see if I'm in one of the latest glamour magazines on sale this week. I mean honestly, I deserve to be on one of those pages. After all ... I am a woman. Right! But, unfortunately, just an ordinary woman.

I can't get past the latest "Desperate Housewife" advertisement with all those ladies in red. Is that really what the stereotypical desperate housewife looks like? After-hours, I assume! I mean with all the domestic work she has to do for the day, the outfit seems rather far-fetched.

Not that all women are just housewives. They can do the chores before work, go to gym and find themselves a shower away from their plush office and executive chair. Like in the soaps on TV.

So often people ask women what they do. The answers vary from sole supporter of a family to so many different categories that housewife and executive are merely small fractions in the equation. They may be extremes in your eyes because either you're educated with a certificate or degree ... or, you're just a housewife doing menial chores and raising your children. But wait ... there's more!

There's the type of woman that actually works long, exhausting hours without pay. Hubby brings in the money and ... let's say no more. Then there's the type of woman who works long hours doing the mundane, pedestrian chores and her share in the community. She earns money baking, making clothes, typing or looking after other women's children while they work. There are no benefits or material rewards ... just the basic fee to keep her supporting the family.

The woman that spends her time in the field cultivating crops and looking after the livestock is also somewhere in this equation.

And somehow it's these women who are never seen in magazines or on television. Unless it's in an advertisement of a product or service that the ordinary women may need to make their lives easier. And these ordinary women are not the desperate housewives you see on television, though they share the same brand name.

Housewife or executive, teacher or minister, they all have one thing in common: motherhood (if that is the choice they decide to make). And motherhood in itself is a career. A mother has to look out for the emotional welfare of her children satisfying their needs and raising them to become responsible adults.

When we stop to look at all the careers a mother practices without qualification on paper, we have to take a deep breath and then pause.

Motherhood entails being an accountant, a sports agent or manager, sports coach, or promotion manager. It also requires experience in nursing, psychology and health education; being a dietician and nutritionist. A mother should have her own mini pharmacy, and have a license to be an emergency driver to hospitals or the veterinarian. She can be an amusement and recreation officer, taxi driver, video camera operator, photographer and travel agent. A mother is a hairdresser, cosmetologist, fashion consultant, and tailor. She is an animal trainer, housekeeper, landlady, fence erector, interior decorator and landscape artist. Mothers bake, cook, order out, host, serve and clean. They are laundry specialists, painters, filing clerks, social workers, answering services and public relations officers. They are data base administrators, home management advisors, teachers, pastors, producers, judges, lawyers and financial analysts.

But above all, mothers are women. And each woman has her own load and burden to carry. Perhaps it's infidelity, cancer, poverty ...

With Mother's Day comes the annual family blessings that each member bestows upon her ... often not to genuinely give thanks or show respect ... but, merely to uphold a public holiday. It also helps her the next day to answer those inquisitive questions of how her family spoilt her on the one specific and yet very small and insignificant day of her year and life. Compared to the laboriousness of her existence, one Mother's Day is just not enough.

There are good mothers and selfish mothers, healthy mothers and ... But, let's not spend any time going there! That's content for a whole new article. It's in being who we are to the best of our ability that really makes the difference.

Give respect, honour, love, compassion, commitment and understanding. Make every day mother's day. And do note there are no capital letters attached to the day, because it's not the day that should be celebrated, but the woman behind all her sacrifices ...


[http://www.blinc123.za.net]

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Karin_Steyn/113515

Women "Like Incubators for Breeding Children" in Rural Northern Ghana

Women "Like Incubators for Breeding Children" in Rural Northern Ghana

By Van Agonsi Akasiga | Submitted On March 19, 2015




Ghana's population according to the 2010 population census was estimated to be 24 million people. Females represent 51% of the population whilst men represent 49%. Population growth rate stood at 3.2%. The population growth rate was very high in rural areas and Rural Northern Ghana is not an exception.

Women in Rural Northern Ghana are the most poorest among the poor in Ghana. A visit to these areas will need no research to affirm or deny this assertion. One can vividly see the emaciated bodies of these women and may even wonder if they get a meal a day especially around May to July. These conditions they find themselves can be attributed to several factors and one of the main reason is the fact that, they are "like incubators for breeding children". Child birth is inherently dangerous with many potential implications.

Growing up in Rural Northern Ghana, it was very common to hear statements like "she is a real woman", meaning that she has given birth to ten or more children. Every woman aspires to give birth up to ten children or more to be acclaimed as such. The beliefs and customs of some ethnic groups in northern Ghana motivate women to give birth to many children.

One of the reasons was that, when you give birth to ten children or more you were supposed to cook a full guinea fowl any time your husband had to kill one or during festivals and sacrifices. This therefore encourages women to give birth continuously until they can no longer menstruate and as such can not give birth. Also people believe that when you have more children it implies worth.

Another attributable factor is that, in the rural areas the only economic activity is agriculture- peasant farming, therefore giving birth to many children means that more hands on deck. The children grow up to support their families in the farming activities. That is why, it is very common to see children as old as eight or ten years involve in farming activities. The last but not the least reason to be talked about is the fact that as the biblical saying goes "lack of knowledge my people perish" Most women in rural Northern Ghana are uneducated and as such lacks knowledge on family planning.

It is very imperative to note that, most of these women are the bread winners of their families and due to the high number of children they give birth to, they continue to wallow in abject poverty. The cycle of poverty continues as the children are unable to access education and end up taking up their parent profession.

These things affect the women's health, education, economic status among others.

In conclusion, it is high time government pay attention to the plight of the rural women to enable them achieve their potentials.


Child bearing is somewhat a blessing from God, however with the advancement in technology, people should not continue to live in "Adamic" age where they can birth to any number without control. In Rural Northern Ghana, women are like "incubators for Breeding Children". Due to high the birth rate, most of these children have no access to education and only end up taking the profession of their parents-peasant farming.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Van_Agonsi_Akasiga/2098688

Pinterest Isn't the End of the World and It Won't Get You Kicked Out of Your Mom Group - I Promise

Pinterest Isn't the End of the World and It Won't Get You Kicked Out of Your Mom Group - I Promise

By Tommie Alexander | Submitted On September 24, 2013




Hello. My name is Tommie and I'm addicted to Pinterest. When it made its debut some years ago, I deliberately avoided it like the plague. I already had a knee-deep collection of craft, home, and cooking magazines that I just couldn't part with, because I referenced back to them often for ideas. My addiction had become so bad, that I had stashes of magazines all over my house. I realized when not a single one more could be crammed in anywhere, I was going to have to create some sort of filing system. I took stack after stack and one by one ripped out the pages I couldn't live without and sorted them into labeled manila file folders. This saved me space, for sure, but the system took forever and I had oodles of periodicals flowing in each month putting me behind again.

Despite my hoarding tendencies, I'd finally had enough, gave in to the masses, and joined Pinterest. What this did for me was allow me to cancel all those subscriptions {though clearly I have still saved a "few" or ten stragglers}. I was able to grab loads of ideas, recipes, and craft tutorials within seconds of logging in and doing a quick search. Plus, I was already an avid blogger/crafter and could easily display my own creations and brainstorms. Any site I stumbled on or frequented could automatically become a reference with a picture for me to refer back to any time I wanted without cluttering my "Favorites". I cancelled my subscriptions {though I still love the smell and feel of a magazine and will occasionally succumb to one in a blue moon just for nostalgia's sake} and cleared my cache. Now two years later, I have 52 boards and nearly 5,000 pins and I gotta say, that ain't bad. I try to keep my pins realistic and things that I will someday attempt or purchase. I've learned to research my pins before collecting them to make sure they aren't hoaxes as so many have proven to be in the past. water marbles hoax

As much as I loved having a better system for organization and essentially free advertising, other Pinterest members {mostly moms} were starting to experience "Pinterest stress"over the pins they were collecting as reported on Today Moms. I agree the whole thing could be overwhelming at times, but to endure stress over ideas and pictures baffles me to my core. I have always had an interest in crafts, baking, sewing, and "the details" and have persistently engaged in those desires since I was a kid. I observe similar behavior in my own daughter and foster those interests in her. Pinterest, for me, seems like the natural progression for like-minded individuals such as myself looking to have a better system of organization without the physical ramifications of having to keep track of tangible things, which in my case would be a collassal collection of periodicals. Truly, anything that was working me up enough to be stressed over a virtual pin board would just have to be lived without. Who needs extra stress or pressure when it's something as silly as a website that you can simply just walk away from?

I've seen blasts such as this one on Facebook calling out mothers such as myself who just want to indulge our own individual interests. Mothers enduring the "Pinterest stress" phenomenon are shaking their fingers and chastising mothers who, like me, delight in making their children's Halloween costumes, decorate parties with a homemade touch, and sit down with the kids to make Christmas ornaments. This Facebook post refers to moms, like me, who enjoy these interests as "Stepford freaks." I feel bad for the mother who allowed herself to become so wrapped up in keeping up with other people's interests that she lost herself and began belittling others. I am thirty-six years old and admit I grew up in a state of home economics (a class, I admit that spoke to me even in the 6th grade). I was raised in a small town by my grandparents who were most definitely hands on and self-doers. My grandmother worked at a bank, but was also the most talented homemaker I've ever known. She did it all. She worked, raised me, baked, cooked, crafted, decorated then redecorated, sewed so many of my clothes, kept an insanely clean house, and was my ultimate role model. My granddad worked for the phone company where he climbed poles day in and day out making repairs. Not only did he work a full-time job, he raised me, helped me with my homework, played board games with me that I am sure bored him to his core, grew an insanely large vegetable garden, kept the nicest yard I've ever seen, and raised 8-10 hunting dogs at a time. He also built furniture including two pieces I still have that are almost as old as I am. I have the interests I have probably because I was surrounded by them all my life and learned first hand from loving, caring people. I also have the work and family ethics I do thanks to my grandparents (Glory be to God) for whom I would surely have led a different life had they not rescued me. I enjoy discovering new recipes, different crafting ideas, and what's current with home décor because those have always been of interest to me. In middle school, Gran & I would get the latest teen magazine and pour through it for ideas and makeup tips. Then, she would get busy duplicating the clothes I liked and showed me how to get the "smoky eye" that Debbie Gibson described. Later, I would find another role model who embodied all things I loved most. I remember the first time I laid eyes on Martha Stewart in high school and fell in love with her entire being. I felt a kindred connection with her, not malice for her abilities. I can understand someone being overwhelmed with the desires to want to have abilities they don't, but calling people out for their gifts and talents isn't just absurd, it's mean. Not everyone who prowls the site pinning at will is doing it out of malice or to make others feel inferior. Some of us, just plain love to indulge ourselves and feed our creative needs. I'm often lovingly teased by those closest to me for my talents in crafting. My reply is this; God blessed me with the ability to sew curtains, bake and decorate moist cupcakes, and turn a curb-side piece of furniture in to something beautiful. He did not give me the gift of athleticism. I can not throw, kick, or catch a ball of any kind. I don't discourage others from playing sports just because I am handicapped in those talents, and I certainly don't call people out for being gifted in ways I am not. God gave us all our own strengths and abilities in different ways. If we were all the same, we wouldn't learn from each other and how very boring life would be then.

I agree with the Facebook ranter, that Pinterest shouldn't take the place of time with your family or cause unnecessary anxiety. This idea is silly to me, though. It's a resource. An online pin board larger than life that holds significantly more space than my childhood cork board did, allowing me the freedom to collect and discard as I see fit. Endlessly. Allowing something that is meant to be a resource to make you feel inadequate is absurd. The insecurity is within thyself. Don't let your expectations get in the way of your happiness. Admittedly, I know it's easy to do because great mothers are always challenging themselves, but is your mom group really going to kick you out because you didn't make a Pinterest worthy cake for your child's second birthday? Come on. People from all over the world pin their desires and interests that are personal to them, creating a vast growing resource of eye candy for anyone with interests in fashion, art, food, pets, gardening, beauty, fitness, health, education, and more. It's a homeschooler's dream stockpile with endless possibilities and materials available with just a touch, it's a crafter's stash connecting us with lost crafts that bring a flood of happy memories from our childhood allowing us to pass that down to our own kids, it's a virtual recipe box full to the brim with mouth-watering recipes for the beginner cook to the gourmet chef. Pinterest is a way for lovely designers, who effortlessly decorate a client's home, keep files and share ideas with those by which they are employed. For me, it's my box of magazine files filling me with happiness. It gives me the freedom to try new things, start new projects, and broaden my horizons. I don't feel limited by the possibilities of what is merely just a very large bulletin board. I feel the excitement I get when a beautiful magazine cover, full of holiday promise, is delivered to my door or catches my eye in the checkout line. Pinterest satiates my cravings for new things to try when I just can't be still, because my hunger for doing, making, and creating is deep within my blood and it gives me nothing short of pride when my kids enjoy something I made, baked, or built for them. Honestly, that's all I ever want; to make my kids happy and for them to know that I take pleasure in bringing a smile to their faces.


[http://www.ohmygluestick.com]

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Tommie_Alexander/1708110

Recent Study Indicates Women's Fertility Declines At 27

Recent Study Indicates Women's Fertility Declines At 27

By Kevin P OConnor | Submitted On May 08, 2012




Balancing a professional and personal life is a difficult task for any woman and a recent study that indicates fertility is decreasing at a younger age than previously thought is not making that task any easier.

Previous studies suggested that a woman's ability to conceive did not start to decline until her 30's, but a new study indicates that the decline actually begins at 27-years-old. The study even indicates that there could be up to a 50% decrease in fertility by the time a woman turns 30 years of age.

Many women, who previously didn't think they would even consider starting a family before the age of 30, have been rethinking their plans for the future.

"My mother didn't have me until she was 34, so I sort of imagined that's when I would start having children, but now I'm thinking that may be too late," said one 26-year-old woman.

The study was conducted by the Institute of Environmental Health Services in North Carolina and was published in the Journal of Human Reproduction. Though fertility declines are higher than previously thought the study says a woman can still conceive in her late 30's, it just may take more menstrual cycles for it to happen.

Most women are aware that fertility starts to decline with age, but most women may not be aware of when the decline starts to occur and how quickly it can affect plans to have children. Young women hear anecdotes about women having children at 40 and beyond, but the truth is those cases are the outliers.

A survey conducted by the American Infertility Association last year showed that from the over 12 thousand respondents only one was aware that fertility begins to decline before the age of 30. Almost half of the respondents thought the decline started at 40.

The survey indicates many women are overestimating the amount of time they have left on their biological clock.

The study from the EHS in North Carolina also studied male fertility. The study showed that male fertility begins to decline at 35 years of age and can be lessened by 40% by the age of 40.

Many things in life don't go as planned, and maybe any plans we set are futile, but the one thing we can control is our education. The more we know about our body and health, the better chances our plans will have to come to fruition.

I hope this article helps your plans do just that.


Kevin O'Connor is a copywriter for Olicity LLC and represents a leading Las Vegas Fertility Clinic.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Kevin_P_OConnor/1062974

Economic Empowerment of Women

Economic Empowerment of Women

By Sanjay Kali | Submitted On October 22, 2008




When we talk about "economic empowerment of women" we must understand that the biggest problem that women face today is that their work is not recognized at all. Women have always contributed to the society and the economy in the form of a helping hand in agriculture and food production in the developing countries and in the form of part time and temporary workers in developed countries. This is apart from their role as a homemaker which is not even valued economically. In fact the recent statistics of the UN tell us that 53% of work in developing countries is carried out by women and out of $ 16 trillion global output which is invisible, $ 11 trillion is contributed by women. Even after so much contribution there is a lack of acknowledgement regarding the role of women in every sphere of life. The problem is actually much larger than what we perceive and therefore the issue is not just about economic empowerment of women. It is in fact about the deep rooted bias and discrimination against women that is prevalent in the society.

Economic empowerment of women: Discrimination against women

It is ironical and sad to note that that there is a wide scale discrimination against women in virtually all aspects of life. She is in a disadvantageous and deprived position even as regards to basic rights like the right to education and health. Further she does not have access to capital or other resources to make an informed choice in her life. Women are kept out of the decision making power structure in every sphere of life including the political, economic, social and religious structures of the society. Coming back to the question of active contribution made by women in economic terms or otherwise we find that the society happily laps up the labour efforts of women in every part of the world but when it comes to sharing the spoils of that labour she is kept out. This is not only happening in the developing countries but it is also true for the developed countries where majority of women who are working in the informal economies as part time workers have less access to basic health care services, education, financial resources, employee rights and land ownerships. If we look at the "decision making structure" in any field whether it be economic, social, political or religious arena then we will find that it becomes virtually impossible for women to climb up the ladder and reach the positions that matter because of open discrimination and bias. But we cannot sit with all these problems and loathe about it. Somewhere we have to make a beginning and making a beginning at the economic front is the best step forward.

Economic empowerment of women: Income generation and increased flow of capital in the hands of women

A major initiative that is needed for changing the situation for women is to increase the flow of capital in the hands of women. More the women get financially empowered and generate income the more is the chance of her overall development and progress. This is because of the fact that women use a major chunk of their income for providing themselves and their family better healthcare, education and nutrition. Moreover steady income in hand makes women more confident to take economic and other decisions related to her family. It has been seen that when women start earning they also adopt more of environmental friendly lifestyle as well as they tend to have lower fertility rates leading to fewer children. Overall we can see that more the women are economically and financially sound more they become capable of taking informed choices about their life. Stable income and financial independence leads to improvement and progress of women through various efforts like contraception, age of marriage, fertility, child mortality and modern sector employment. Economic empowerment of women leading to steady income generation and financial independence will therefore definitely help women take decisions and select the best among choices in their personal and professional life.

Economic empowerment of women: Resistance to economic empowerment of women

We must acknowledge the fact that when we talk about economic empowerment of women and enhancing the financial independence of women we face great resistance from the current structures of the society at every level. The resistance comes in various forms and it is entrenched in the society as gender bias and gender discrimination. There are many ugly facets of it around the world and many of them are in the form of open physical and psychological abuse. One of the most common forms of abuse is violence against women. Violence against women is virtually seen in every part of the world. Major types of violence against women are in the form of domestic violence and rape. Apart from violence there is great gender discrimination and bias in the form of substandard and pathetic living conditions that is forced upon women. There are millions of women around the world who don't have even their basic needs met in terms of food and nutrition, healthcare and education.

Further in many countries there are horrendous practices that are taking place and which can be equated to genocide amounting to crime against humanity. Female feticide falls in this category. Other evils like trafficking of young women and girl child, early marriage and dowry system play a major role in pulling down women to a life of infinite misery and suffering. In these conditions how can we think about economic empowerment of women? To top it all we can find a clear bias against women in the decision making power structures of the society which is insensitive to the cause of 50% of human population and which is in fact poorly represented by women in the first place. Fighting all these odds, even if women think about generating income on their own with the help of a economic enterprise then they face the hurdle of capital and other resources. In total women are in a highly disadvantageous and marginalized position. The tragedy is that this situation prevails even when studies show that once women are economically empowered they become the biggest assets of their family, the society, the nation and the world in terms of their savings and their efforts towards the overall development of the family, the society as well as the nation. This is true because when women starts earning, she channels back a major chunk of her earning into the family for better health, education and nutrition. This has a tremendous impact on the growth and development of the next generation who are the future seed of human evolution.

Economic empowerment of women: Statistics show the alarming situation

Statistics show how bad the situation is for women. As per recent UN figures, 60 % of the world's 135 million children who are not getting education are girls. These girls end up living a life of drudgery, misery and open exploitation. Out of the number of girls going to primary school only 1 in 4 remain in school after four years and the rest who drop out are sucked back into the vortex of living hell with open marginalization, discrimination and abuse. It is shocking to note that out of the 880 million illiterate adults of the world two-third are women. What more proof we need to understand the circumstances of women in our society and the world.

Economic empowerment of women: Biased patriarchal structure and the need for fundamental change

We must recognize the fact that until we drastically change the structure of the society which is patriarchal and highly biased against one half of human population we can never think of eradicating the evils of gender bias and gender discrimination that exist in our society. Without the fall of the patriarchal structure based on power and control and replacement of it by an all inclusive structure based on unification of forces we cannot think of moving forward to achieve true economic progress and development. To change the existing structures women need to take initiative. They need to come forward for creating new structures which will positively empower them as well as act as a catalyst for massive change in the society. We have to make a beginning somewhere and the beginning can be through the economic empowerment of women. Only when women get empowered economically we can think about a movement which will work towards further change whereby better healthcare, education, housing and nutrition will be available for the next generation. The seed for change are the next generation and their future lies in the hands of women who are economically empowered today and who can make informed choice about their life and their family. So if we have to start somewhere it would be to work in the direction of economic empowerment of women. Only through this route we can think about tackling the many other aspects related to women's empowerment. Every problem in the society today hits the women hard whether it is war, health issues like AIDS, poverty, violence, unemployment or population growth. The solution to all these problems is definitely complex but the initiative can begin with the economic empowerment of women.

Economic empowerment of women: Bringing women into the mainstream economy

When we talk of economic empowerment of women we need to understand one more point very clearly. It is a fact that despite efforts to bring women into the mainstream of economic activity, the majority of the active female population continues to be confined in the micro small-scale enterprises and the informal sector. This is represented by agriculture and daily wage jobs in the rural sector and part time jobs in the urban sectors. The big question is how to bring these women working in the informal sector into a broader loop where their rights are protected and where they are not exploited in any form. Formation of functional associations for the protection of the rights of women in these sectors needs to be a top priority. More than protection these associations should work towards finding means for overall development of their women members with a great focus on economic empowerment.

On the other hand there are also some indications that women are increasingly seeking self-employment in the formal private sector and that's a good trend that needs to be encouraged further as it is a creative and generative form of economic empowerment. Moreover women are now organizing themselves into associations of entrepreneurs or bankers in order to enhance their economic status and have an impact on economic policies. However, their integration into the formal sector is still constrained by limited access to credit, property, technology and technical skills. Keeping all these developments in mind, creation of multilateral financial institutions exclusively catering to women at the international, national and regional levels would help cater specific financial needs of women at all levels and help faster integration of women in the informal, formal and organized sector.

Economic empowerment of women: Initiation steps for economic empowerment of women

Economic empowerment of women can be initiated by working on some very fundamental issues like training and education of women for gainful income generation, bringing about gender sensitisation in all spheres of human life as well as initiating awareness programs which can help women make informed choice regarding the various aspects of their life. The following are some major initiatives which can be taken towards economic empowerment of women

1. Recognizing that education and training are important for economic empowerment of women in the short term as well as long term periods.

2. To acknowledge and accept the glaring gender based bias that is so much prevalent in all parts of the world and taking concrete steps towards gender analysis and gender sensitization in every sphere of human life.

3. Empowering women who are part of the labour force by increasing awareness regarding the rights of an employee.

4. Work on the communication skills of women so that they become self-confident and master the technique of advocacy and negotiation.

5. Encouraging and supporting women entrepreneurs to develop marketable models of enterprise through expert guidance and "skills development" support.

6. Planning educational and training modules for women based on their professional as well as home commitments and helping women to balance between the two.

7. Using communication technology to galvanize women for a radical shift in their thinking through shared experiences of success and skills. These communication activities can be taken across the rural and urban landscape for motivating women to take up self empowerment programmes.

8. Educating and training women to gainfully engage in markets and institutions where they primarily go for generating income.

9. Publicizing the central role of women in the national economies and celebrating the success stories of women entrepreneurship and women professionalism in every field.

10. Gender training and sensitization of the current structures of the society represented by the government, social bodies and private enterprises.

11. Proving opportunities to women for interlinking and interacting across border for economic empowerment. Networking, export development and joint venture promotion among female entrepreneurs and relevant associations can be taken under the interlinking and interacting activities.

12. Improving the flow and access of credit and finance for women through financial institutions for female entrepreneurs at the governmental and social levels.

13. The access of credit to be financed through collateral for loans. Such loans should be made available to those women who do not have any individual resources, property and land rights. Further micro-finance schemes to be made available to women.

14. Building and strengthening networks where women come together from different nations and regions for common goals of economic empowerment of women. Such networks can influence the international and national policy formulation including international and national economic agreements. Further these networks among women from different nations can help in increased participation of women in the governmental structures like chambers of commerce, can help them access latest technologies, can help them access management and marketing skills and can help them in nurturing female entrepreneurs in the incubator centres for training and skills development.


For free information and advice on topics and issues related to women, visit [http://www.rise-of-womanhood.org]

[http://www.rise-of-womanhood.org]

This site envisions the rise of womanhood in true sense that is the rise of the "essence" of womanhood in the physical, mental, intellectual and the spiritual planes. It calls for the beginning of a campaign for the true rise of women in all spheres of life for the restoration of the balance in nature.

Somewhere we have to make a beginning and it's always better if we make the initiation at our own self. We can strengthen this mass movement for the "rise of womanhood" by bringing about the necessary changes in our own life as felt by our inner self. Further we can transmit the new thinking to others who care to listen. A small step today will definitely lead to a giant leap tomorrow.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Sanjay_Kali/278133