I think your comments show great insight. I think, though, that it depends on how you define "empowerment." Empowerment does not necessarily mean being more powerful than others. I see it as meaning what you say in the rest of your post that women need to do: find their voices and stand up to those who would oppress them.

As for disrupting the hormonal interplay between mother and baby, women can and do overcome that handicap. Nonetheless, we are mammals, and that disruption acts to the detriment of mothers and babies alike. It is by no means a trivial loss, and, of course, some, more vulnerable women and babies may not be able to overcome its loss.

-- Henci