5 Ways to Empower the People Around You

Today, we’re seeing more women leading change than ever before. Opportunities that women have historically been left out of are now within reach. Empowering women benefits society as it helps economic prosperity, security, and safety. 

Yet female empowerment is still an everyday, conscious decision. Here are a few simple ways to empower others to do greater things. Empowering young women, and learning how to empower others, can help make our world more vibrant and leave a better community for future generations. 

1. Support their goals

It’s important to actively consider how you can support the women in your life as they hustle toward their goals. What ways can you find to support them daily? 

Sometimes it can be as simple as words of encouragement that help empower them to take the next step in realizing her dreams. Also, look for ways to help other women grow their careers or networks. 

Is your sister, co-worker, or friend looking for a promotion in a male-dominated business? Connecting them to learning opportunities and informational interviews helps empower young women to be in a better position to reach their personal goals.   

Related reading: How to Use a Bullet Journal to Track Your Financial Goals

2. Shop at women-owned businesses

In the U.S alone there are more than 11.6 million businesses owned by women. Supporting women-owned businesses is one of the best ways to help empower young women. Actively seeking out women-owned businesses and services is an actionable way to support female entrepreneurs. 

Curious how to find women-owned businesses? 

There are several methods, but one easy solution is through the popular online review app, Yelp. Consumers can now look for a business that’s marked as “women-owned”, directly on the platform. Yelp verifies each store against its owner, ensuring that the ownership is accurate. 

People are choosing to shop at businesses that more closely align with their personal values. If supporting women is something you care about, consider giving them your business.    

3. Listen to female-led podcasts

Many women bring a unique, female perspective to the topics they discuss on their podcasts. Be inspired by women who have navigated their path to success in life and their careers and listen to build confidence to reach your goals. 

There are many strong female-driven podcasts out there, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t recommend “Martinis and Your Money”, hosted by The Gym’s very own CEO, Shannon McLay. You can expect to hear female-centered stories in finance covering topics such as investing, loan repayment stories, and listener success stories that are shared through email or as a guest on the podcast. 

Shannon’s mantra is, “Living a better life, one cocktail at a time,” so sit down with your favorite mixed drink (non-alcoholic, if that’s your jam) and get ready to be inspired.  

4. Collaborate with female colleagues

Inviting others to collaborate with female colleagues is a great way to help empower other women. There’s a large movement to reverse pay gaps in the workplace, but that’s not the only way women find themselves locked out of advancement in their jobs. On a daily basis, there are ways colleagues can work together to help elevate women at work. 

You might be reading this and have no idea what that looks like. The first step is to become aware of moments when the women around you might be left out of an opportunity simply because of their gender. 

In some workplaces, this can be as simple as actively asking women to voice their thoughts during meetings. Statistics show that men do 75% of the talking at workplace meetings. If you moderate a meeting, make sure both men and women are getting a chance to talk.

In other cases, actively collaborating with female colleagues to empower them could mean making sure any internal teams have a gender balance of men and women. Also, keep an eye out for women who you feel might not be getting appropriate mentorship opportunities or who are looked over for advancement. 

5. Mentor women

Surrounding women with strong role models — both other women and men — is an excellent way to empower them to rise to their potential. Even though you might not feel you’re advanced enough in your career to offer advice to the women around you, chances are there is always someone who’s looking for a mentor. That may be a college or high school student, a mid-career professional, or even a female family member who can benefit from the experience you bring to the table. 

Everyone needs the help of those around them to get to the next level in their career and personal life, so be that someone who can help build up women. 

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