Change to women’s empowerment in Europe can occur at both incremental rates, as well as through deep systemic transformations. A report from the Group of Specialists on Mainstreaming (1998) considers the means in which change can be created concerning women’s empowerment, and how this can overcome hurdles in gender mainstreaming and a lack of space for women (Verloo, 2015). This report argues that women’s empowerment involves transformative strategies including inclusion based on equality. The strategy of inclusion focuses on creating change by reconfiguring politics, culture and practices within Europe to allow politics to become more open to gender issues. However whilst the participation of women is important for empowerment, it is not the source of change in itself, and therefore this requires further changes to provide women with chances to exercise and alter power relations in society. The 1998 report only provides vague guidance concerning women’s empowerment through NGOs, interest groups and pressure groups, yet these are important mechanisms for influencing change by driving change in political agendas to enhance the voices of women through feminism and women lacking power due to existing gender inequalities.

 

More recently, these new strategies have become more important, and technology has provided opportunities to create change for women through investment and entrepreneurship. This can help support women’s empowerment by overcoming biases, and intentionally diversifying data collection to remove the invisibility of women’s issues and represent them within online and digital spaces (El Kaliouby, 2020).

Change can also be created through increasing public knowledge through innovative processes and research suggestions, which creates opportunities for more inclusive solutions for women.  On the ground, young activists have also needed resources in order to deliver change, and this includes technology, networks, skills, and collaboration with governmental and non-governmental organizations to empower women within their communities (UNGEI, 2014).

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The role of governments in Europe can be connected to the recent work done by organizations including the United Nations Girls Education Initiative (UNGEI), working in collaboration to empower girls through providing IT skills and education to access and communicate using the digital space (McCracken, 2015). Additionally, the European Parliament also provides recommendations for empowerment in programs to improve economic prospects and educational outcomes (McCracken, 2015). However, these programs have previously lacked consideration for broader gender barriers and developmental contexts, such as the involvement of women within the local economy, and therefore to improve, there must be improvements to the gender mainstreaming processes.  Governments also need to consider the role of racial inequalities impacting on empowerment, given that intersectional policies must focus on the capabilities of all women, in particular, those who are most vulnerable and least empowered, rather than intensifying divisions. In particular, this can be seen in the role of planning and responding to crises, as well as addressing the origins of power structures in patriarchies and hierarchies.