The Basic Idea
The term “empowerment” is increasingly used in contemporary communications, whether it refers to women uplifting other women in technology,1 supporting the COVID-19 vaccine industry,2 or taking action on your career goals.3 If empowerment applies to so many domains, does it mean the same thing in every context? At its core, empowerment is a construct that links individual strengths, help from community systems, and proactive behaviors to social policy and change.4
Empowerment refers to a value orientation of autonomy and self-determination, as well as a theoretical model for understanding the process and consequences of efforts to exert control over decisions that affect oneself, organizational functioning, or the quality of community life.5 Empowerment is commonly linked to strength and confidence, as autonomy allows people to take control of their choices and claim their rights.6 To this end, both self-empowerment and empowering others are important. There are different types and levels of empowerment, defined according to the contexts to which they apply.
You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.
– Maya Angelou, American poet and civil rights activist on self-empowerment
