Empowerment (HL IB Geography)
Revision Note
Written by: Jacque Cartwright
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
Empowering Women
The World Bank defines empowerment as
the process of increasing the capacity of individuals or groups to make choices and to transform those choices into desired actions and outcomes
Throughout history, people have been marginalised in one form or another
Women form half of the global population, yet have faced and still face barriers to opportunities that give them the same benefits as men
Empowering women not only closes the gender gap but also improves:
A country's economic productivity
The next generation's development outcomes
Institutions and policies are more representative of society
Even as countries develop, gender disparities remain
Women and girls are more likely to die compared to men and boys
Women earn less and are less economically productive than men
Women have less chance to shape their lives and make decisions within the family
Globally, primary and secondary school enrolment gaps are closing (90% male, 89% female)
In almost one-third of developing countries, girls now outnumber boys in secondary schools
In universities, data shows that there are more young women than men studying higher education
Benefits of removing barriers for women
Working women: targeting the skills and talents of women in the workforce increases productivity and output by 25% in some countries
Women and households: women who have control over their incomes reinvest in their families and communities, boosting future economic development
Women and children: empowered women have fewer children who tend to be healthier and better educated
Women and politics: policy choices and institutions become more representative of a wider range of people and change current mindsets such as paid parental leave, affordable child care and flexible work arrangements
Women's Empowerment Principles (WEP)
UN Women and UN Global Compact developed a set of guiding principles for businesses to achieve gender equality and empower women in the workplace, marketplace and community
WEP's 7 Principles
Principle 1 Establish corporate leadership for gender equality | Improves corporate sustainability strategy, day-to-day operations and organisational culture |
Principle 2 Treat all women and men fairly at work without discrimination | Links to international human rights principles, higher employee retention and satisfaction, increased productivity and better decision-making |
Principle 3 Ensure the health, safety and well-being of all workers | Prevent all forms of harassment and abuse at work, allow equal access to health insurance, respect time off for medical care and provide safe working conditions |
Principle 4 Promote education, training and professional development for career advancement | Effective programmes to support women’s professional advancement |
Principle 5 Enterprise development, supply chain and marketing practices | Advertising to change perceptions and impact social norms |
Principle 6 Promote equality through community initiatives | Respond to consumer preferences to buy from companies with gender-responsive business practices and who are actively supporting community initiatives |
Principle 7 Measure and report on progress to achieve gender equality | Transparency and accountability allow companies to show their commitments to gender equality in the workplace, marketplace and community |
Case Study
Women empowered in Colombia
Colombia, Latin America, has had one of the longest armed conflicts since the late 1950s
Colombia is one of the most unequal countries in the world, despite its large natural wealth
Poverty is high and concentrated in rural areas; 45.5 % are considered poor and 16.4 % live under the extreme poverty line
In November 2016, former President Juan Santos signed a peace agreement with Colombia’s main paramilitary force, the FARC
The conflict was, according to The Economist, “the longest-running domestic conflict in the western hemisphere, killing over 200 000 people and displacing approximately 5.5 million people, 80% of who are women and children”
As of 2024, the conflict is still ongoing, although there has been significant progress towards total peace
Colombian women and conflict
The conflict mobilised women to push for equal rights and against gender-based violence and discrimination
As a result, Colombia has improved its policies to encourage gender equality over the last 25 years
Achievements include:
In 2011, 32% of the government were women, compared with 12% in 1998
The quota law of 2000 stated that women must occupy at least 30% of appointed positions in the executive, legislative and judicial branches and at all levels of government
Girls’ enrolment in secondary and tertiary education outperforms boys'
In 1990, just 29.9% of the work force were women; by 2012, this had risen to 42.7% and now stands at 51.4% (2023)
Adult literacy in women (95.9%) and men (95.4%) as of 2020
90.6% of girls and 81% of boys complete secondary school in Colombia as of 2021
26.6% of women now own a property, which was impossible in the past
Maternal mortality rates and fertility rates have declined
Overall, Colombia has made serious progress in moving towards gender equality and demonstrates that improving the role of women and girls is key to successful development
Empowering Indigenous & Minority Groups
There are more than 5 000 different Indigenous Peoples around the world, comprising 476 million people—around 6.2% of the global population
They speak more than 4 000 languages across more than 90 countries
Indigenous People and minority groups are marginalised, isolated and routinely violated by state authorities
Their life expectancy is up to 20 years lower and they are less able to participate in economic and political process than other groups
They mostly live in extreme poverty and poor health in rural areas and depend on agriculture and related activities for their livelihoods
They frequently face eviction from their ancestral lands and suffer higher rates of landlessness, as well as restricted access to education, health care and housing
The UN now uses the capitalised ‘Indigenous Peoples’ in response to demands from Indigenous representatives. It acts as a recognition of their status as peoples in their own right within international law and their right to self-determination
Case Study
Sustainable rural development project for the Ngöbe-Buglé Territory, Panama
The UN International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) supports projects to help agricultural development in LICs and eliminate rural poverty
Indigenous Peoples in the area are mainly subsistence farmers suffering historic land exploitation by non-indigenous farmers and settlers
Production and productivity are low due to environmental and soil degradation and a lack of support services
To restore land rights to indigenous communities, it provided financial and technical support to the communities
Helped the community negotiate a set of laws that established the borders of the territory
Improved local leaders' planning and administrative skills
Supported natural resource management based on traditional practices to stimulate intercultural relations and access to markets
Examiner Tips and Tricks
The examples used in 'empowering women' can also be used to explain 'gender inequality' and vice versa. This will cut down on the number of case studies that you have to try and recall for the exam. Always look for links between modules and think about whether the examples can cover multiple concepts.
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