Pride & Women Empowerment

“Sexual orientation/gender identity is an important part of an individual’s sense of being, however it must never turn into the reason that they are not included and empowered.”

What does sexuality have to do with Women Empowerment?

Firstly what exactly does women’s empowerment look like through a “sexuality lens?

Well, the narrow way in which gender equality and women’s empowerment has been dealt with has often excluded the different sexualities. However, a sexuality lens can provide new ways of looking. If you look at women empowerment through a sexuality lens, it provides a more complete, diverse, and holistic picture of all women.

You see a woman whose well-being depends, among other things, on making choices about her desires and dreams, her inclusion and her own identity.

You see a women who lives within or even challenges the confines of social pressure and expectations about her behaviour, passion, desires and dreams, sexual orientation, freedom, choices, acceptance etc.

A woman’s sexuality and identity can affect many aspects of her life including her work and her means to living, her relations, her freedom, her opportunities, her education, her rights and her health / safety. Thus, looking through a sexuality lens adds something very valuable to the efforts to be made towards Women Empowerment.

In short, Women Empowerment / Gender Equality should be inclusive of women of all sexualities.

Regardless of whether a woman is a lesbian, heterosexual, bisexual or asexual, and so on, she should be a part of the larger diversity and inclusion plan. We sought to understand how narratives of sexuality change and can be changed.

However, this can be changed, if we all work together to empower them, even in the smallest of ways :

• Write, talk, accept and listen to their accomplishments and struggles as well as spread awareness about LGBTQ+ community. Make people around understand that a person’s sexuality is not a disease or crime; it is completely natural. Thus, helping break the stigma and promoting inclusivity.

• Neutralise the mechanisms which provoke gender oppression acts against women and members of the LGBTQIA+ community; thus, helping create safer spaces for both groups.

• Refrain from using slurs, or anything that is directed towards degrading them for their gender/sexual identity.

• Queer and feminist perspectives should be integrated with the intersectional approach to counteract discrimination against those in the intersection of multiple marginalized identities

• Women from the LGBT community must be employed like anyone else with the right qualification, and their sexual/gender identity should not affect their salary or position.

• Including LGBTQIA+ topics in the syllabus and making strict rules against any kind of bully and shaming.

• Framing policies gender and sexuality in inclusive ways helping dismantle heterosexist, cissexist, and monosexist paradigms that contribute to create discriminatory and harassing environment.

It is important for us to understand and acknowledge that Women Empowerment needs to be more inclusive and ensure the empowerment of women of all sexualities / orientations.

Disclaimer: Although the article is women centric, we in no way are disagreeing or not acknowledging the fact that such struggles and non-inclusivity may be faced by other / all sexualities and genders. This article specifically focuses on women empowerment and the inclusion of all women – regardless of their sexualities – for the same.

✏️: @tarini_puri, @rishika_arora, @shreya_chaudhary & @vachasvi

🎨: @tarini_puri