Empowerment is a concept that is of equal importance to both men and women. This idea of sharing power is not a concept which is unique to men or women alone. In fact, it is a concept that is touted and desired by all. However, having said this, issues surrounding women in leadership and in the workforce, are seemingly defined by gender at times. While this is a legitimate concern at times, at other times, it is irrelevant. We will look at the concept of empowerment and see how this idea looks from the perspective of women in the workforce.

This article specifically addresses the reality of women in the workforce, while expressly speaking to leaders to know and understand the full engagement of women, by looking into the concept of empowerment as a rich concept, that includes sharing power and enabling others. In addition, this article bridges together, the imperative of women in the workforce and the concept of empowerment by sharing ideas on how to empower followers, ways to energize others, and finally, strategies to empower women. Leaders who recognize the value of women, the value of empowerment, and the value of empowering women will be the very leaders who set themselves apart for personal success, while also setting the stage for the success of others—a pretty good deal by anyone's standards.

Women have a firm presence in the workforce and leaders, who invest time and resources to draw upon this reality, are the leaders who are fully aware and engaged with their workforce. In fact, the reality is that women make up for quite a large contingent of the actual workforce. Studies show that working women have increased nearly six-fold, since the 1970s, which is not surprising when we see that women in colleges and universities hover around the 50% line, showing that women are actively seeking to be ready for the world and the workforce. In fact, women's participation in the workforce has been on the rise, with studies showing an increase in women, representing 27.8% of the workforce. Ignoring women as a valuable asset is ignoring over a quarter of the value of one's organization. The smart leader will be the one who will not only recognize this large group but also utilize the strengths and abilities that this group represents.

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