It’s all too common for women to drag other women down rather than supporting and empowering them. In order to eliminate this struggle, we must remember that we’re all in this together and it’s our job to lift each other up rather than dragging each other down.
From women in developing countries to our work colleagues, we need to make a conscious effort to empower other women far and wide. By creating a strong and powerful community of women, we can strive closer toward the equal world that women have fought for, for years. Discover some of the ways women can support women below.
Focus on Education for Girls
In terms of education, we don’t mean their schooling. Instead, we mean that mothers should teach their daughters how to support women by empowering themselves in the presence of their daughters. Daughters should get to see their mothers telling themselves they’re beautiful and witnessing them taking care of themselves.
Meanwhile, mothers should be addressing the importance of self-love and -care with their daughters. It’s important to break down the barriers that womanhood can present before they even appear, which means manifesting kindness, strength, confidence, empowerment, and body positivity. Starting with budding young women is essential to empowering the future of females.
Encourage One Another
If a fellow woman is excited about something, don’t meet her excitement with judgment. Instead, encourage her to do the things that excite her. So often, we apologize for something before we’ve always told anyone. For instance, you may hear a woman say, “I know I’m too old, but I want to take a new career path.”
This negativity isn’t helpful to anyone looking to strive forwards in their life, and you should make it your mission to generate a positive attitude rather than a negative one. Tell her that she’s not too old and she should chase her dreams no matter what, and you’ll always be proud of her for such.
Share Accomplishments
What could be more empowering than setting a goal and ultimately achieving it? As women, we should join together with other women to accomplish shared goals and establish a sense of unity. From getting healthy to learning a new skill, sharing your personal goals with other women allows you to establish a common ground and use this to build powerful relationships.
What’s more, having an accountability partner can help you ensure you stay on track, which is the epitome of women supporting women. After all, it’s all about striving towards becoming the best version of ourselves we can possibly be.
Listen Actively
How will we know who needs support and how if we don’t actively listen? As a generation that has all the answers at our fingertips, listening is becoming a dying art; however, Google can’t tell us how someone is feeling. Active listening involves paying attention to what someone is saying, expressing your attention through body language, offering feedback WITHOUT judgment, and ultimately responding like a friend. One of the most crucial features of supporting women is ensuring they feel heard as the female voice is so often stifled.
Celebrate Success
Last but not least, don’t express bitterness or jealousy about the achievements of your fellow women, celebrate them! You can achieve this by complimenting her accomplishments, sharing her excitement and asking questions, or planning celebration parties. Jealousy is a natural emotion (as long as it isn’t toxic jealousy) but it’s important to remind ourselves that someone else’s success doesn’t make us a failure. We’re all on separate journeys and we should celebrate anyone making progress in theirs.