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INTRODUCTION / The Empowered Woman

Feminism (n). The advocacy of women’s rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes.

Oxford English Dictionary

The definition and the focus of feminism has changed through the ages as it has sought to resist and overcome the tenets of patriarchy. Women have always fought for their place within the household or family, usually employing femininity as an iron fist in velvet gloves, using covert or non-confrontational means to assert themselves. The political, social, and cultural upheavals of the twentieth century gave women a greater awareness of mass movements demanding political and social change. Women also became organized, but with a different end goal to many of the radical movements that sought the overthrow of the existing order.

The women’s movement – feminism – did not want to take power, but to share in it. However, the competitiveness which society often instils in men means some see the pursuit of power as a zero-sum game. This has resulted in any challenge to the status quo often prompting fear and suspicion – to the extent that feminism has frequently been met with aggression and violence, both from the state and individual males.

Thankfully, both men and women have evolved to the extent that the majority of us acknowledge that there needs to be gender equality, and politicians (still mainly men) have passed laws to underpin this belief. However, the zero-sum mentality still exists, where men view feminism as a movement of confrontation rather than an opportunity to achieve solutions to inequality. Some women also shy away from the label of feminism as it can often be typecast as a movement with unreasonable demands, that victimizes and takes power from men in favour of a female hierarchy.

True feminism is nothing of the sort. Rather, it is a movement that seeks to create the equal balance between the genders that we all need, defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as ‘The advocacy of women’s rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes.’ We seem to get fixated on the advocacy of women’s rights over the aim – which is equality.

Neither men nor women need to be afraid of the term feminism, because the imbalance and inequality that requires its existence costs us all dearly. Gender imbalance and inequality in female education will impact the male and female children who women might give birth to. Gender imbalance or inequality at work and in business impacts on how effectively a business or organisation is able to operate. These are issues that concern us all regardless of gender, which is why we must act on Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s clarion call. Indeed: We Should All Be Feminists.

As we celebrate the centenary of female suffrage in the UK, in the wake of the explosion of the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements and calls for greater pay transparency, it’s clear from recent indicators that there is a fierce appetite for a change in the way society treats women. With this glorious uprising of women everywhere we could be forgiven for feeling a sense of achievement, and indeed the social and cultural change in Western society has been significant and has ushered in a redefining of assumed gender relations at work and elsewhere. But the call for gender equality is nothing new and there is still much work to be done.

Women are the largest oppressed group in the world, and the degrees of subjugation vary from country to country, with women in the West faring much better than their counterparts in developing parts of the world. But even in the UK and the US, there are more women living in poverty than men¹, and of the people who were paid below the National Living Wage in 2016, 64% were women². Levelling the playing field will be a struggle but it will, without question, be worth it for everyone, given the rewards that are to be won. According to the UK version of the McKinsey Global Institute’s Power of Parity report, bridging the UK gender gap at work ‘has the potential to create an extra £150 billion on top of business-as-usual GDP forecasts in 2025, and could translate into 840,000 additional female employees’.³ Certainly, as things stand, we are often failing to harness the full potential of 50 per cent of society. Imagine the technological, cultural, and political progress we could make if we fully empowered that half of society.

It can be tempting to see this as exclusively a women’s issue. But that’s not the case. And in addition to discussing how important it is that we provide a level playing field for mothers, daughters, sisters, and friends, this book will prove just how much society as a whole – including husbands, sons, brothers and male friends – has to gain, economically and socially, from the rise of empowered women.

And there are wider benefits too. Women are usually the de facto operational managers of a home. An ability to manage a budget, resolve conflict, and inspire excellence come as standard. This skill set is an obvious advantage in management and should not be overlooked or undermined. That is not to say these attributes are exclusive to women, but those who are able to demonstrate these transferable skills are undoubtedly an asset to any business. For the male boss above her this operational manager brings a responsible pair of hands, and for the male subordinate, possibly an encouraging style of leadership that fosters progression and development. And for colleagues – yes, an element of competition, but also an opportunity to learn alternative styles of working and thinking. Women have shaped the template and culture of the home for centuries; it’s now time for us to add a lasting ‘feminine’ dynamic to the workplace, and reap the social and economic benefits of doing so.

The results – personal, cultural, and economic – of gender equality will be spectacularly beneficial, for women, for men, and for society as a whole. But we won’t get there unless we can convince even the biggest cynics that feminism works for everyone. This book will highlight women’s lost potential and, more importantly, provide the tools and arguments to support the fact that gender equality will enable a bright future we will all benefit from.