Empowerment...

An innocent bunch of women

Sit in a village clearing

Immersed

In a seemingly important discussion

Come closer

And you’ll hear

More than idle rambles

More than domestic chores

The hand that rocks the cradle

Rules the world, they say

They also seem to understand finance

And provide credit, these days

These hands maintain account books

And pay for their children’s education

Get their little sisters married

And uproot rigid norms

These soft hands are running family businesses today

Of dairy and poultry farming

Of fertiliser and pesticide production

They’re supporting ageing parents

And drunken spouses

So what exactly defines empowerment for us?

Where does the frailer sex

Unseen, unheard, unnoticed

Get such immense power

Spread such conviction...?

Neither elaborate trainings

Nor literacy tools,

Not development modules

Or expert advise...

It is, quite simply

The steely soul of a woman

Reflected in her work

The discovery of her own strength

It is for her to believe

That she can bring change

In the lives of others

And most importantly, her own...

It is this translucence of insight

That mirrors a radiance of purpose

..... Such is empowerment...