Empowerment

Women's Empowerment in Election Law

Process by which women gain power and control over their own lives. It involves awareness-raising, self-confidence building, expansion of choices, increased access to and control over resources and actions to transform the structures and institutions which reinforce and perpetuate gender discrimination and inequality.

Empowerment and Agency (in the Human Development Area)

In this context, Empowerment and Agency means: enabling people and groups to act—to drive valuable outcomes. (Human Development Report 2010, 20th Anniversary Edition, The Real Wealth of Nations: Pathways to Human Development). The term “opportunities” means access to resources and assets, and active participation in the formation or use of their advantages. In accordance with A. Sen human capabilities depend not only on the individual's quality, but also on the social and economic choices, which are provided by society. Human development implies “giving people the opportunity to exercise individual choices, and to participate in the formation of these choices and gets benefit from the processes occurring at the household, in communities and national levels” (Global Report on Human Development, 2010) This is one of three components of human development, including the expansion of rights, agency and justice.

Resources

See Also

• Election Law
• Electoral Laws
• Electoral Legislation