What does “Women’s Empowerment” mean to you?

Think of the successful and powerful women you know. What attributes do all of these women have in common? What I see most often are: Bravery, education, contribution, and financial freedom. The phrase ’empowered woman’ always brings me back to the writing of Pamela Redmond Satran, “A Woman Should Have.” I think it’s also important to recognize the most important element of becoming empowered: Freedom.

Women who are truly empowered have authority over their lives. They are not dictated by anyone or any circumstance.
Empowered women first believe they are powerful (capable), and then become so through their unwavering FAITH, actions and personal financial wealth. They are able to create their own story at any time because they CAN. Having faith that you CAN, and then creating the means in which to stand on your own, to me, is a defining truth of women’s empowerment.

I’m not talking about the wealth of your husband, nor the shared finances between a husband and wife. I’m referring to your own money, (created by your own job or career) and a bank account with just your name on it. How many married women do you know who have their own bank account —with only their name on it?

The first thing a woman can do for her self-empowerment is to have her own bank account. It isn’t wrong, it isn’t weird and it isn’t a sign that she isn’t committed to her marriage.

I get it. Not all of us are designed to be business owners or entrepreneurs. Not all of us are financial whizzes or Suze Orman’s. But we need to learn and understand the importance of a healthy relationship with money. Once we get a handle on our personal finances, we are going to find more options than we ever imagined and a lot fewer obstacles in our path.

The excerpt is taken from ‘Girl Power’, due to release March 2019⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀