empowered

Empowered is an adjective describing a person or group who has been given power, authority, or confidence to act in a domain they were previously limited in. It can refer to legal or political authority, but is commonly used to express personal or collective agency. The term derives from empower, to grant power.

In social sciences and development, empowerment denotes both the process by which people gain autonomy and the outcome of increased capacity to make decisions and participate in society. It often targets marginalized groups—such as women, ethnic or rural communities, patients, or students—to improve access to resources, rights, information, and leadership roles. Empowerment is closely linked to concepts like self-efficacy, agency, and participatory decision making.

Contexts include gender empowerment, community development, political participation, and health promotion. Programs aim to build skills, reorganize social norms, and provide tools and spaces for collective action. Evaluation focuses on indicators such as control over resources, decision-making power within households or organizations, and perceived self-efficacy.

Critiques note that empowerment is not universally achievable and can reflect power imbalances in measurement, may shift responsibility onto individuals, or risk tokenism if not backed by structural changes. Sustainable empowerment typically requires supportive institutions, legal rights, and inclusive participation.

Examples include an empowered patient managing their treatment; an empowered community negotiating land rights; and an empowered worker participating in governance.