The unspoken side of WOMEN EMPOWERMENT

She sits quietly in the corner of a crowded room.

Her eyes are lowered, and her fingers nervously trace the edge of the table. No one notices the heaviness in her silence. On the outside, she is just another woman fulfilling her “duties.” On the inside, she is trapped.

She never finished her education—“girls don’t need much schooling,” they told her. She doesn’t earn a living—“someone else will provide for you,” they promised. But what happens when those promises turn into prisons?

Every decision in her life is made by someone else. She cannot question, because she doesn’t know her rights. She cannot leave, because she doesn’t have a single rupee of her own. And so, she stays. She stays where she is not respected, where her kindness is exploited, where her silence is mistaken for weakness.

This is the unspoken side of society.

The side we don’t like to talk about.

The side where women are taken advantage of—not because they lack strength, but because they were never given the tools to fight back.

Why Education Matters

Education is more than books and classrooms—it is freedom. An educated woman understands her worth. She knows her rights. She is less likely to be deceived or silenced. Without education, too many women are left powerless, unable to defend themselves against injustice.

And yet, the unspoken truth is this: many women are used and taken advantage of simply because they lack access to basic necessities. Even if we don’t directly see it, somewhere each day a woman in need is taken advantage of only because she doesn’t have the essentials to survive. Their vulnerability becomes someone else’s opportunity.

Sadly, in many South Asian countries, a girl’s education is still not seen as a priority. Families often dismiss the value of schooling for girls, or “don’t have the ears for it,” thinking it is unnecessary. This perpetuates the cycle of dependency and exploitation. That is why education is not just important—it is urgent—because when you educate a woman, you don’t just change her story, you change generations.

Why Financial Stability Matters

Money is not about greed, it is about dignity. A woman who can stand on her own feet financially is a woman who cannot be chained by dependency. How many women suffer silently in abusive marriages or toxic environments only because they cannot afford to walk away? Financial stability is not luxury—it is survival.

The Illusion of Protection

We’ve all heard relatives, friends, or colleagues say, “girls shouldn’t be out late.” They claim it’s because of the darkness that falls when the sun disappears. But darkness itself is not dangerous—what makes the night unsafe is not the absence of light, but the presence of people who choose to harm. The danger lies not in the night sky, but in a society that fails to protect its women once daylight fades.

So ask yourself honestly: can a woman in Sri Lanka walk or travel alone past 1 AM and truly feel safe? If the answer is no, then the problem is not with her choice to step outside—it is with a society that has failed to guarantee her safety.

Respect, Safety, and Honour

For a man, the greatest respect and honour is when the women around him—be it family, friends, or colleagues—feel secure in his presence. If they cannot feel safe, then has society not failed as a whole? A woman’s safety and dignity is not just her own—it safeguards generations. When she feels secure, she can nurture, grow, and inspire without fear.

And perhaps the simplest solution lies in the way we raise our sons.

If every son is taught to treat an unknown woman the way he would want his own mother, sister, wife or daughter to be treated—would we not see crime rates fall, and respect rise?

The Misunderstanding of Empowerment

Often when women speak up about these struggles, their voices are dismissed or mocked—“Why do you need equality?” they are asked. But empowerment is not about competing with men or claiming superiority. It is about survival, dignity, and humanity. It is about ensuring that a woman is not silenced, shamed, or forced into dependency. Equality is not the fight here—the fight is for the basic right to live with respect and without fear.

The Truth We Avoid

We love to praise women for being selfless, sacrificing, and enduring. But what we don’t admit is how often that “sacrifice” is forced upon them. How often their silence is used against them. How often society benefits from their lack of independence.

The Way Forward

Empowerment is not just speeches and celebrations. It is giving women the two strongest shields against exploitation: education and financial stability.

Because a woman who learns and earns is not just saving herself—she is reshaping society.

The unspoken truth is this:

When a woman is empowered, society loses its ability to exploit her silence.

When her silence is broken, her daughters and sons will grow up differently.

And when her voice rises, the world begins to change.