Central to the concept of women’s empowerment is an
understanding of power itself. Women’s empowerment does not
imply women taking over control previously held by men, but
rather the need to transform the nature of power relations. Power
may be understood as ‘power within,’ or self confidence, ‘power
with’, or the capacity to organise with others towards a common
purpose, and the ‘power to’ effect change and take decisions,
rather than ‘power over’ others.