Dr. Claire Kaye - Empowermenting women at work
Short Biography...
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What is female empowerment?
So there are lots of different definitions of what women empowerment is. For me, it's about having a voice at the table, the confidence to say what you feel and what your opinion is, and also to be listened to.
What skills do I need to feel empowered?
So this is a huge question, and it's a very layered question. So for me, it's about having the confidence in order to know what your voice is. It's about understanding what your strengths are. It's knowing what your values are, what your purpose is. And once you can do all that, you get this feeling of like, yes, I know who I am, I know what I stand for, and I know what I bring to the table. And by doing that, I actually offer something to my organisation, but also I can offer something to my community and to myself. So being an empowered woman isn't about being aggressive or overbearing. It's about being sure of who you are and what you bring to the table.
How can I support other women to feel empowered?
So this can feel a bit overwhelming, and I think the first thing to notice is that if you are thinking that people around you don't feel empowered, ask yourself what is it about this situation or about that person that makes them feel disempowered? Maybe it's the environment. Maybe it's the organisation that's disempowering that person, or maybe that person is having a very difficult time either in work or out of work. So it's about really putting people in their stories and understanding what they're going through. So the first thing I would do is ask the person about their situation in a nonjudgmental, psychologically safe way that allows them to explore where they're at, why they're feeling the way they are, and what they would like to improve.