Week 1 Assignment: Empowerment

Empowerment Defined
Empowerment is another way of expressing ones self-containment of power. It dictates how one perceived their circumstances in life, be they good, bad or indifferent. Whatever the life circumstances a power-filled person is able to take responsible for situations and own their part in creating life’s events.
Hence, an empowered woman is physically, emotionally and spiritually responsible for creating the life she wants without blame or shame for its outcomes.

Group Facilitation Task
As a facilitator of a sexually abused group, the first task I would undertake in my empowerment sessions, is to inform them that although they have suffered they have the power and choice to heal and overcome the effects of such abuse by owning their feelings and taking responsibility for their recovery.
The first step is to stop blaming herself and allow the self to be angry with the perpetrator. Secondly, visualize what they’d have done different to stop the abuse if they allowed themselves to have more power than their perpetrator. Third, I would ask them to write a letter to the injured part of themselves giving them permission to grieve, become angry and later to heal and see themselves in more positive sexual encounters. The third step would come after having spent much time, reflection and encouraging them to journal and read and share about positive sexual experiences.

Capabilities of Empowered Women
-I would enable them to have a power filled voice to express themselves freely.
_ I would enable them to forgive themselves and their perpetrators (at a much later step in the process or group).
-I would enable them to learn to nurture themselves and learn to enjoy pleasure, joy, harmony and contentment.
-I would enable them to learn how and when to fight back, walk away and to choose their battles wisely.
-I would enable them to feel good about themselves.
-I would enable them to experience the joy and pleasure of spiritual enlightenment.

Difficulties/Challenges
I faced several challenges in the process of becoming an empowered. The first challenge was learning to speak and have a verbal voice, along with my silent inner voice. It was especially difficult to speak to a group of people versus one on one dialogue, and speaking in public was even more terrifying. The second challenge came after my first divorce, I had to pick up the shattered pieces of a dream and develop another one, while becoming more self-sufficient and interdependent.