Empowerment definitions

To "empower" means giving power or authority to someone. "When you educate children and believe in them, you empower those kids to go after their dreams [...] Empowerment often refers to helping someone realize their abilities and potential, perhaps for the first time". Empowerment is "a management practice of sharing information, rewards, and power with employees so that they can take initiative and make decisions to solve problems and improve service and performance. Empowerment is based on the idea that giving employees skills, resources, authority, opportunity, motivation, as well holding them responsible and accountable for outcomes of their actions, will contribute to their competence and satisfaction". Empowerment is to "give (someone) the authority or power to do something: members are empowered to audit the accounts of limited companies". Empower is "to invest with power, especially legal power or official authority" and/or "to equip or supply with an ability". "The term empowerment refers to measures designed to increase the degree of autonomy and self-determination in people and in communities in order to enable them to represent their interests in a responsible and self-determined way, acting on their own authority. Empowerment as action refers both to the process of self-empowerment and to professional support of people, which enables them to overcome their sense of powerlessness and lack of influence, and to recognize and eventually to use their resources and chances".

Note: See source document for full reference.

Cultural Factors: Power relations

Hazards: Man-made non-intentional hazards or emergency situations, Man-made intentional hazards, Natural hazards

Disaster Phases: All disaster phases, Preparedness, Prevention, Response, Recovery

Types of Actors Concerned: All types of actors, Local authorities, Active citizens, Entrepreneurs, Government, Media, National research bodies, NGOs, Military, Law enforcement agencies, European Civil Protection Mechanism, National civil protection body, UN and other international organisations, Healthcare and emergency services, Non-active citizens, Red Cross

Recommendations:

• Foster the adoption of a culture of disaster prevention and resilience by informing and motivating citizens to take action