What Are the Different Types of Empowerment?

Co-authored by Lia Huynh, LMFT and Jennifer Mueller, JD

Last Updated: January 28, 2023 References

When you empower someone, you help them feel more in control of their life—you literally give them power. You usually talk about empowering someone who has been disadvantaged in some way, so it stands to reason that there are many different types of empowerment.^{[1]
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Research source} We at wikiHow have collected descriptions of many different types of empowerment for you to consider along with examples of each. As you read, reflect on ways you can empower yourself and others.

1

Individual empowerment

You believe you have the power to change your own circumstances. To increase your own self-empowerment, set achievable goals and hold yourself accountable. Break your ultimate goal into measurable steps.^{[2]
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Expert Source

Lia Huynh, LMFT
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
Expert Interview. 5 May 2022.} Then reward yourself for reaching each milestone. You'll feel more and more empowered as you see that you're making progress.^{[3]
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Expert Source

Tracey Rogers, MA
Certified Life Coach
Expert Interview. 6 January 2020.}
- Reflect on where you've been and what you've done. This will help you decide what you want to do next to continue to build on your success. For example, if you started running a year ago, you might decide your next goal will be to run a 5k or a 10k race.
- Don't be afraid to ask for help! It's natural to be nervous about asking for help, whether because you see it as showing weakness or worry about being rejected. But being able to get help when you need it will empower you to try your hardest. So take action!
- Stop comparing yourself to others and feel pressured to do things they are doing.^{[4]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Lia Huynh, LMFT
  Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
  Expert Interview. 5 May 2022.}
- Do an inventory of the things you like to do, the things you are good at, and the things that make you feel energized.^{[5]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Lia Huynh, LMFT
  Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
  Expert Interview. 5 May 2022.}

2

Gender empowerment

All gender identities can and should contribute to society. Traditionally, men have more power and opportunity than women do.^{[6]
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Research source} But even cisgender women may have more power and opportunity than nonbinary or transgender individuals. Gender empowerment seeks to lift up everyone and recognizes that all people have a place at the table, regardless of their gender identity.^{[7]
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- Normalizing pronouns is a simple way to empower all gender identities. For example, you can list your pronouns on your social media profile (even if they seem obvious to you), or routinely ask people their pronouns rather than guessing.
- Respect and remember people's names and pronouns, even if they've changed from what you knew before. If you mess up, just quickly apologize, correct yourself, and move on.
- If you're leading a group discussion or project, seek input from people of all genders and make sure everyone gets a chance to contribute.

3

Social empowerment

You believe you can make a difference in society. Social empowerment helps people find their voice to speak out against negative or toxic aspects of their society. Someone who is empowered believes they can truly change society for the better. This includes both individual and collective action.^{[8]
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- For example, participating in a human rights protest can be socially empowering. You believe in the power of your voices to collectively change your society.
- Seeing others like you speaking out can be empowering as well. For example, Greta Thunberg has inspired a generation of young female eco-activists who feel empowered by seeing a girl who looks like them speak out about climate change.^{[9]
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4

Educational empowerment

Provide free access to high-quality educational resources. When people have the ability to learn something, they feel power over that aspect of their lives. This includes breaking down financial barriers to education and offering more courses and knowledge for free.^{[10]
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- For example, people who work at self-help legal clinics empower their clients to handle legal matters on their own by educating them about legal concepts and court processes.
- The wikiHow mission to enable everyone in the world to learn how to do anything is another example of educational empowerment.
- Indulging curiosity and giving yourself permission to be curious help you empower yourself educationally. Follow your curiosity to learn new things and discover new gifts and talents.^{[11]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Tracey Rogers, MA
  Certified Life Coach
  Expert Interview. 6 January 2020.}
- Teaching indigenous students in their own language helps empower them educationally as well as culturally.

5

Economic empowerment

Build economic empowerment by giving people financial tools. Many people are frightened of money, investing, and business because they don't understand it and don't have the tools to manage it on their own. Intuitive, easy-to-use tools take the fear out of finance and help people make better financial decisions.^{[12]
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- For example, free community budgeting or investing clubs can empower people to get started in planning for their future.
- Micro-lending programs run by nonprofit organizations also bring economic empowerment to developing countries. These programs provide seed investments for local artisans to start their own businesses.
- On a broader scale, economic empowerment allows people the ability to think beyond simply surviving from day to day and take control of their financial future and overall economic wellbeing.^{[13]
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6

Political empowerment

Increase the diversity of voices and opportunities in the political sphere. People feel politically empowered when they see people who look like them in positions of political power or running for elected office. Supporting women, disabled, and BIPOC candidates helps empower the next generation.^{[14]
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- For example, if you help elect your city's first mayor who uses a wheelchair, you've helped empower other disabled people to run for elected office.
- Registering people to vote and driving people to the polls on Election Day is another way to empower people politically.

7

Psychological empowerment

Encourage and develop empathy to increase psychological empowerment. You become psychologically empowered when you start to understand the impact of various biases and social norms on your behavior and the behavior of others. Psychological empowerment is important to break down systemic biases, including systemic racism in the US.^{[15]
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- Listening to people from different races or socio-economic groups share their stories builds empathy and awareness, which increases your psychological empowerment.
- Talking to other people who are going through the same things you are can also be empowering, because it helps you realize that you're not the only one. Seeing that someone else has faced the same problem and come out the other side gives you hope.^{[16]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Nicolette Tura, MA
  Authentic Living Expert
  Expert Interview. 23 January 2020.}

8

Physical empowerment

Provide quality healthcare to empower people physically. No one is going to have a life that is completely free from injury or illness, but it's empowering when you know that if you do get sick or get injured, you'll be taken care of and you'll get better. For disabled and chronically ill people, physical empowerment might mean accommodations that allow them to do and to access the same things as able-bodied people.^{[17]
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- Physical autonomy is also a big part of physical empowerment. To be empowered, you need to feel that you have control over your own body and the right to keep other people from touching you in ways you don't like.^{[18]
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- Celebrate your uniqueness and love your body as it is—try to avoid comparing how you look or what you can do to others. Practice self-care.^{[19]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Nicolette Tura, MA
  Authentic Living Expert
  Expert Interview. 23 January 2020.}

9

Sexual empowerment

People feel free to express their sexuality without fear. Someone who is sexually empowered embraces and celebrates their sexuality rather than seeing it as a source of shame or embarrassment. You can help empower people sexually by not judging or shaming them for their sexual interests and being open to different forms and expressions of sexuality. Many people feel more sexually empowered when surrounded by others whose sexuality is similar to their own.^{[20]
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- For example, if you've recently come out as a gay man, you might feel more sexually empowered if you visit gay bars or use dating apps specifically for gay men.^{[21]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Marissa Floro, PhD
  Counseling Psychologist
  Expert Interview. 1 April 2021.}
- Going to LGBTQ+ Pride festivities is a great way to increase your own sexual empowerment.
- For many women, taking a pole dancing class is sexually empowering.^{[22]
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10

Community empowerment

Teach people how to organize and improve their community. Community empowerment is often especially important when a community is rebuilding after a disaster. But any time a community is facing any type of issue, community members will band together if they believe they can fix the problem.^{[23]
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- For example, a neighborhood might band together and form groups to pick up litter to help clean up their neighborhood. The clean neighborhood might empower them to take other steps to improve the health and safety of their community.
- Growing a community garden or starting other common interest groups, such as a biking club or book club, is another way to foster community empowerment.

11

Organizational empowerment

People feel they have power and influence within their organization. This type of empowerment typically relates to a workplace setting, but could also include a school or volunteer organization. Even those who aren't managers or authority figures in the organization can still be empowered if they know that management will respond to them when they come forward with issues.^{[24]
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- For example, if a manager keeps a suggestion box on their desk and addresses all of those suggestions each month, their employees will likely feel empowered.
- At the school level, student government can be one form of organizational empowerment for students. Those who participate in student government typically feel like they have the power to make a difference at the organizational level.

12

Cultural empowerment

Encourage people to retain their cultural practices and traditions.^{[25]
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Research source} People most often talk about cultural empowerment in the context of native or indigenous cultures that have been threatened by invasion and colonization. Cultural empowerment also impacts immigrants to a country who might be pressured to lose their native culture and assimilate into the culture of their new country.^{[26]
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- For example, recognizing and learning about cultural holidays empowers those cultures. Teaching people to respect cultural traditions even if they don't share them empowers those cultures to maintain their traditions and see their value.
- Teaching and using indigenous languages promotes cultural empowerment. At the governmental level, changing the names of places to reflect the original indigenous name also empowers those cultures.

Expert Q&A

Question

What is an example of empowerment?

Lia Huynh, LMFT
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
Lia Huynh is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist with over 20 years of experience. She specializes in providing counseling services for individuals, couples, Christians, and Asian Americans. Lia holds a BA in Psychology from The University of California, Los Angeles and an MS in Marriage and Family Therapy and Pupil Personnel Services from San Francisco State University.

Lia Huynh, LMFT

Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist

Expert Answer

An example of empowerment is really owning and celebrating an activity or hobby that you enjoy. For instance, if you really enjoy crocheting, you could own that, celebrate, and go crochet the best blanket or sweater out there. You could also join organizations where others do crafts build your tribe around things you love.