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Introduction
Throughout human history, women have played major roles and held powerful positions in society as leaders, healers, warriors, and counselors. However, up to today, women are considered a high-risk group because of factors such as their strength and agility compared to men, thus preventing them from securing a central position in society. Although society is formulated on the frameworks of social action and cooperation, women, like other marginalized groups, are sidelined in various sectors, and their needs are neglected. For example, the Coronavirus pandemic led to unprecedented changes in the economic and social structures of nations worldwide. Even so, women, especially those in the private job sector, are among the groups most significantly affected by the events. Consequently, aggravated issues and barriers limit Omen from living a higher quality of life and ensuring the communitys continuity. Therefore, empowering women by equipping them with digital literacy, entrepreneurial skills, and paid employment can help them advance socially and economically and allow them to give back to their community.
The Importance of Identity and Belonging
Human beings are classified as social animals because they can hardly survive in isolation and occasionally thrive in groups where people can contribute toward reaching ultimate goals and achieving interests. An individuals identity refers to the conditions or features that make them unique. Additionally, an individuals identity can be described as their abilities, personality traits, likes, dislikes, and beliefs that influence their behaviors and perceptions about life (Huppatz et al., 2019). Thus, a persons identity informs them who they are and reflects on their self-worth. On the other hand, belonging is a feeling that someone experiences when others value, respect, and perceive them as part of the community. Hence, identity and belonging are correlated since shared identities encourage the sense of belonging and make it easier to foster valuable and trustworthy relationships.
Identity and belonging are associated with social capital aspects with various implications for individuals and society. A shared identity and a sense of belonging are critical to positive developments since they encourage cooperation and collaboration, limited conflicts between individuals, and collective advancements (Alcoff and Mendieta, 2003). According to Anthias (2018), an individuals identity influences how they perceive their abilities and their relationships with other people. Similarly, a sense of belonging helps to align an individuals objectives to their goals (Anderson, 2020). Additionally, belonging encourages communal contributions toward achieving certain outcomes and ensures efficacy since more people contribute toward achieving outcomes (Alcoff and Mendieta, 2003). Nevertheless, social identity and belonging can be harmful because they encourage individuals division into sectional groups with particular interests, characteristics, or sets of attributes. Hence, individuals should know the potential implications of identity and belonging to enable their use for collective action and empowerment.
Womens Experiences with Identity and Belonging
Women hold a principal role in society as they facilitate lifes continuity and are often assigned the responsibility of nurturing. However, the stereotypic representation of women is a significant threat to their advancement since permits their subjugation and oppression (Walby, 2002). Cultural practices, religious beliefs, and stereotyping rob women of their sense of belonging and the opportunity to achieve a higher social status independently. As a result, women experience more issues compared to men in finding and securing job opportunities, attaining leadership positions, and continuously improving their lives (Master and Meltzoff, 2020). In extreme situations, women are exposed to domestic violence, sexual assault, bias, and discrimination that significantly limit their ability to live a comfortable life and thrive.
In most countries, women suffer from atrocities due to notably high poverty levels, insufficient resources to cater to their needs, and the lack of opportunities to advance. However, the current demographics are the result of a long-standing history of discrimination against women and their capabilities (Master and Meltzoff, 2020). During the 18th and 19th centuries, industrialization confined women to households because society associated their identity with domestic life while giving men the opportunity to actively participate in the workforce (Walby, 2002). Subsequently, the implications of this era on womens identity were far-fetched as they resulted in diminished education, training, and womens empowerment, thus limiting them from conforming to their identities and achieving a sense of belonging.
How Empowering Women with Digital Business Skills Will Help in Developing a Stronger Sense of Identity and Belonging
Empowering women with online business skills will enable them to raise their social standards and identify as more respectable members of the community, thus enhancing their sense of belonging. One of the reasons why women suffer at the hands of men is because of their poor social status and low self-worth because of limited opportunities (Huppatz, 2010). As a result, they persevere through maltreatment and atrocities without reliable solutions to relieve themselves. However, training women on how to be independent will allow them to forge an identity that will allow others to respect them and treat them appropriately (Anderson, 2020). Subsequently, the income earned from digital business activities will play a role in elevating women to a higher social class. Hence, they will be better positioned to establish valuable social groups, voice out their concerns, and develop effective solutions to improve their livelihoods.
Exposing women to online entrepreneurial skills will also encourage them to associate with others of their caliber and achieve a higher sense of belonging. Most women find it hard to interact with their peers and sustain valuable relationships because they have nothing in common (Woodward, 2004). However, uniting women through training and entrepreneurship will provide them with a platform to interact and foster bonds. Initiatives to empower women will attract many unskilled and untrained individuals to advance and improve (Huppatz, 2010). As a result, these women will feel more comfortable in the presence of others like them and build relationships that will oversee their success (Pini et al., 2012). Moreover, educating women on business skills will allow them to participate in community development and serve as pivotal members of society. In turn, their alleviated position will enhance their sense of belonging and allow them to advance further.
Training women on how to identify business opportunities and become independent during the COVID-19 period is critical to their advancement as they will be better positioned to help each other. Women lack sufficient representation in various industries, in politics, and in leadership (Woodward, 2004). However, equipping women with business skills will enable them to gain other skills such as communication, analysis, networking, problem-solving, and management skills which will enable them to hold higher and more powerful positions in society (Anderson, 2020). In turn, they will avail opportunities for other struggling women and encourage them to enhance their identity and feel appreciated. Eventually, society will realize higher levels of gender equality by eradicating vices against women. Thus, everyone in the community will benefit from the outcomes.
Conclusion
The stereotypic perceptions of women as caregivers have limited their success in other fields such as professional careers and leadership. Subsequently, they have led to the oppression and marginalization of women, thus eroding their self-with and limiting them from achieving a sense of belonging and identity. However, womens subjugation is a cultural mishap with significant implications for society since it diminishes the value of life and stalls positive development. Therefore, solutions to empower women such as training them in digital business skills can help them to increase their self-awareness, identify with higher social standards, and contribute to their communitys wellbeing. Eventually, these improvements will enable more women to familiarize themselves with an improved identity and enhanced sense of belonging.
Reference List
Anderson, B., 2010. Imagined communities: reflections on the origin and spread of nationalism. In The new social theory reader (pp. 282-288). Routledge.
Anthias, F., 2018. Identity and belonging: Conceptualizations and reframings through a translocational lens. In Contested belonging: Spaces, practices, biographies. Emerald Publishing Limited.
Alcoff, L.M. and Mendieta, E., 2003. Identities: Race, Class, Gender, and Nationality. Blackwell Publishers: Malden.
Huppatz, K.E., 2010. Class and career choice: Motivations, aspirations, identity and mobility for women in paid caring work.Journal of Sociology, 46(2), pp.115-132. Web.
Huppatz, K., Matthews, A. and Hawkins, M., 2019. Identity and belonging. Bloomsbury Publishing.
Master, A. and Meltzoff, A.N., 2020. Cultural stereotypes and sense of belonging contribute to gender gaps in STEM.International Journal of Gender, Science and Technology, 12(1), pp.152-198. Web.
Pini, B., McDonald, P. and Mayes, R., 2012. Class contestations and Australias resource boom: The emergence of the cashed-up bogan.Sociology, 46(1), pp.142-158. Web.
Walby, S., 2002. Feminism in a global era.Economy and society, 31(4), pp.533-557. Web.
Woodward, K. (2004). Questioning Identity In Woodward, K. (e.d.). Questioning identity: gender, class, nation. Routledge.
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