Women's Empowerment Through Education

History shows that women from all over the world had fought just to gain their freedom,
rights, and even their right to receive education. Even until this day, women are still suffering
from gender inequality. To note, depriving women of their rights results to how they are treated
inferior compared to men. However, due to the 21st century’s advocacy for gender equality and
equal protection clause, women are now enjoying their rights, even their right to receive
education. In line with this assertion, this paper will discuss how women are empowered through
education, using the lives of Laura Cereta and Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz.

Laura Cereta

Education plays a significant role in helping people how to attain success. In case of
women, when they are educated and empowered, they can know what they are capable of. Aside
from that, they will know that they can do more than just doing the household chores, and taking
good care of their children and husbands. Considerably, investing in women by providing them
education also means improvement of the families, communities, and life in general. For
example, the life of Laura Cereta shows how her love of learning and education enabled her to
write letters which covered various subjects such as mathematics, history, religion and
philosophy (127). Her letters actually in turn, can also educate the others during her time.
However, instead of commending her because of what she has achieved, others belittled her
work for the reason that during that time, many believed that a woman should not be educated
(127). From this standpoint alone, it is safe to say that depriving women of their right to
education also means cutting their wings to soar into greater heights. Instead of helping women
to become the best version of what they can be so that they can play their role in the society
effectively, they are mocked whenever they do something great simply because they are women.
Instead of making them feel confident, they become insecure along the way because the society
already predetermined them as housewives, and not achievers and learned. As Cereta points out,
when women are singled out for praise, it also means that they are marginalized (127). When
they are marginalized, it also means that they are also deprived for their rights. Considerably, one
can conclude that educating women help them achieve self-esteem. Aside from that, it promotes
their active participation in the society. This is true in Cereta’s case. She knows what she is
capable of because of she is educated. By being educated, she is empowered—empowered
enough to respond to her critics.

Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz

There are instances where women cannot stop their thirst and desire to learn. As much as
they want to entomb their learning inclination, they just cannot do it because that is something
beyond their control. This is true in Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz’s life. As a child, her intellectual
curiosity was already intense because at an early age, she already read the books found in the
library of his grandfather. To note, her thirst for knowledge even led her to enter the convent.
However, becoming empowered through education did not come easily because Sor Juana has to
face a lot of obstacle in the community she was in (252). Considerably, when a woman is
educated, she becomes confident enough to share to the public what she knows. She is not
contented that others are not learned. She wants them to learn too. Through her confidence, she
can boldly tell others what she has in mind. This notion is evident in the life of Sor Juana. To
note, Sor Juana continued to write, and she has also became the center of conversational
gathering (251). In fact, she was the one who invited well-known intellectual in the said
gatherings. Her life explicitly shows how education makes a woman confident, and when a
woman is confident, she becomes empowered.

Conclusion

How women enjoy their rights nowadays did not come easily. The women years ago have
struggled so much just to attain their rights—even the right of acquiring education. Relatively,
education plays a vital role much more in making women empowered. Undeniably, the standard
norm for women is just to stay at home, do the household chores, and take good care of their
children and husbands. However, empowered women believe that there is more to life than just
staying in their houses. The life of Laura Cereta and Sor Juana are the best examples when it
comes to women empowerment through education. As mentioned earlier, Laura Cereta loves
learning to the extent that she was able to write various letters covering many topics. As an
educated woman, she was mocked instead of being praised. Regardless, what people tell about
her did not stop her from writing, because she knew that she has to impart what she know
through her letters. On the other hand, Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz is an epitome of a woman who
has an extreme desire for learning. As discussed above, at an early age, Sor Juana already pored
herself over the books in her grandfather’s library. Also, because of her love for learning, she
invited well-known intellectuals whenever there is conversational gathering. The lives of Cetera
and Sor Juana show that when women are educated, they cannot help but share what they know
because they also want the people around them to be educated.

Works Cited

Cereta, Laura. Wearied by Your Carping. Print.

De la Cruz, Sor Juana Ines. How Great Is the Strength of My Inclination. Print.