Abstract
Women lost more jobs than men during COVID-19 perhaps due to caring for families and homeschooling children. However, is this really the case? Globally, women of the workforce lost $800B in income the first year of the pandemic. Does workforce include women who work in “Corporate America” or corporate jobs? Women who are entrepreneurs also formally and informally employ workers and themselves. Curiously, does the $800B context include more involuntary terminations of employment than voluntary? Are the involuntary terminations due to the assumption that women are nurturers and are immediately expected to become homemakers and homeschoolers during crises? Women have been discriminated against for years including with financial inclusion and gaining an education. Nevertheless, entrepreneurship, UN SDGs, and technology can be catalysts to women's empowerment, women's re-employment, and pandemic global economic recovery with discrimination alleviation.
TopIntroduction
The word empowerment, over the years, has become a widely applied term in organizational sciences (Neilsen, 1986; House, 1988), in companies. Usually from a leadership, management, leaders versus subordinate, resources access and allocation, and organizational structure position (Roberts, 1986). Within the context of economies, sustainable development, and economic growth, empowerment is somewhat defined the same, yet different from organizational environments. However, still within the confines of a business or conducting business as the end result. For example, contemporary and globally, the general definition of economic development is to enhance or grow an economy, traditionally with utilizing various resources, wealth, prosperity, and/or finances (e.g. investments). Traditionally, growing an economy also includes increasing access to jobs for people and their overall well-being or quality of life. Especially during times of recessions to lift economies out of downward spiraling circumstances. For instance, like an epidemic or pandemic. Job creation can also come by way of entrepreneurship; someone starting a business and employing other workers.
Comparably, Obeidat et al. (2018) argued human capital is necessary for economic development, and is in fact, presently the most critical resource for companies since the trend of globalization is underway. Likewise, Obeidat et al. (2021) reported a statistically significant effect regarding knowledge sharing on the association between empowerment and human capital. Obeidat et al. (2021) seems to be implying people, sharing information, and empowerment are connected. Also, from an entrepreneurial perspective, knowledge sharing could occur within the context of education, know-how expertise, or mentoring. Furthermore, Husain (2016) did warrant women’s participation in the workforce positively influences economies growth. Somewhat similar, Sadik et al. (2020) and Das and Singh (2019) reported there is a high correlation between women’s economic empowerment and economic development (growth). Interestingly, Simbar et al. (2017) defined women’s empowerment as women being capable of achieving things, free to collaborate on tasks with others at will, possessing resources, and having control in their personal, financial, social, and economical lives for independence, which increases self-esteem and self-confidence.
Likewise, economic empowerment is the ownership of property, investments, and finances (Simbar et al., 2017), and gaining education (Dalal, 2011). Civera et al. (2018) developed an incredible table of empowerment areas and the corresponding descriptions, benefits, actions, and literature source after reviewing nearly 30 researcher’s projects, especially in rural areas. For example, empowerment areas frequently studied and reported on were (1) sustaining income and productivity, including through knowledge transfer and technological tools, (2) developing business skills and industry specific know-how and skills, (3) supporting business creation and entrepreneurial innovation, (4) developing collaborative partnerships for collaborative solutions, and (5) favoring gender equality (Civera et al., 2018). The corresponding empowerment benefits delineated were: (1) increasing productivity, independency, product quality, financial outcomes, and facilitating access to loans, (2) business growth, better adaptation during market shifts, better market access, and development of competent business partners, and (3) development of innovative entrepreneurial solutions, product differentiation, and enhancement of cooperation among firms and stakeholders, (4) increase collective advocacy power, decision-making influence, and increased participation in governmental decisions, and (5) joint decision making among men and women (like managers) for effective and efficient goal setting in business (Civera et al., 2018).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Gender Gap: A gender gap is the discrepancy in work status, opportunities, position, advancement, power, and innumerable other aspects between women and men. Other aspects traditionally known, like ownership, financial control, and even resources.
Burnout: Burnout is when a person is emotionally exhausted or stressed due to workload, work environment and tasks ( Demerouti et al., 2003 ; Naidoo, 2018 ; Zhang & Feng, 2011 ), or problematic home-work dilemmas ( Bria et al., 2014 ), but is not clinical depression ( Maslach et al., 1996 ).
Sustainable Development: Sustainable development is where economic development, social development, and environmental development, and governance interact, work cohesively ( Tiba & Frikha, 2020 ). An institutional pillar can also be added ( Tiba & Frikha, 2020 ).
Financial Inclusion: When certain groups of disadvantaged are included or regarded to obtain credit and gain access to opening a bank account or receiving other finances services for personal, professional, or commercial use.
Economic Development: To enhance or grow an economy, traditionally with utilizing various resources, wealth, job creation, prosperity, and/or finances (e.g. investments) to improve the overall well-being or quality of life of people in the society.
Entrepreneurship: The use various innovative resources to identify and then pursue opportunities ( Mair, 2005 ). Also, entrepreneurship regards employing others, contributing to societies, and is connected to technology and new innovations that eventually produce additional employment and profit opportunities for economies ( Gargi, 2019 ).
Women’s Empowerment: Women’s empowerment is connected to economic empowerment. Women being capable of achieving things, free to collaborate on tasks with others at will, possessing resources, and having control in their personal, financial, social, and economical lives for independence, which increases self-esteem and self-confidence. Economic empowerment is also the ownership of property, investments, and finances ( Simbar et al., 2017 ), and gaining education ( Dalal, 2011 ).
Empowerment: Empowerment can be socially, economically, or even ecologically structured. Generally, empowerment encompasses empowerment areas, benefits, and actions . Empowerment areas frequently studied and reported on were (1) sustaining income and productivity, including through knowledge transfer and technological tools, (2) developing business skills and industry specific know-how and skills, (3) supporting business creation and entrepreneurial innovation, (4) developing collaborative partnerships for collaborative solutions, and (5) favoring gender equality (Civera et al., 2018 AU65: The in-text citation "Civera et al., 2018" is not in the reference list. Please correct the citation, add the reference to the list, or delete the citation. ).
Digital Era: The current digital era regards exercising websites, social media, and the Internet to conduct market research and run eCommerce businesses ( Kim, 2022 ).
Economic Empowerment: Economic empowerment is the ownership of finances, investments, property, and gaining education ( Dalal, 2011 ). Economic empowerment directly impacts economic development and vice versa ( Rao et al., 2014 ). Within the context of economic empowerment of women , economic empowerment involves being in a position to make decisions ( Mohyuddin et al., 2012 ). When women are economically empowered, they participate in decision-making ( Mohyuddin et al., 2012 ; Ballon, 2018 ). Similarly, when women are empowered, they make leadership, income, time, and resources decisions ( Aziz et al., 2021 ).