Do It #LikeAGirl - 3 ways to help young women embrace their strength

louisehewison
Nov 19, 2014
3 min read

When did #LikeAGirl become an insult?

I'm sure you have heard these words used as a put down many times. It's time to change this phrase into a positive affirmation! Always have teamed up with filmmaker Lauren Greenfield in their recent ad campaign to do just that.

I wake up like a girl, walk like a girl, talk like a girl, run like a girl, throw like a girl and do business like a girl... isn't that great!

How can we help our children and the next generation embrace the strength and beauty each of them possess, regardless of sex?

1. Use positive affirmations every day

This is especially important for and around young girls, growing into young women. Puberty is a time of extraordinary changes that can be scary.

While we're just beginning to learn how to navigate our way through life independently, our physiques change at an alarming rate, we shed the security of childhood and learn to adapt to new experiences from bodies, minds and environments. Throw in a massive dollop of crazy hormones and welcome to wonderland! The childhood identity we had is changing and there are enough doubts and insecurities creeping up.

2. Nurture individuality

We need to let our children and young adults find their own feet. Yes, they need guidance but trying to mold them into our ideas of what they should be, how they should look act, or express themselves is at best stifling and at worst could lead to serious identity crisis. Now is the time for them to play with the world, explore and try new things-, which I encourage throughout life, but best of all in our youth before real responsibilities. So if you have twins girls and one wishes to cut her hair, dress like a boy and play football, and the other prefers long hair, dresses and ballet, celebrate that and give them enough free reign to explore their individuality and be accepting of others.

3. Check yourself, before you wreck yourself... or them!

Be mindful of how you speak to your children. #LikeAGirl is a good example of a 'throw away' comment that is easily said and seemingly harmless but can really affect a young person's confidence. It may prevent them from trying anything new or from practicing until they are the best on the team. I do think we need to encourage healthy competition but we must also be careful not to crush anyone in the race.

"Using #LikeAGirl as an insult is a hard knock against any adolescent girl. And since the rest of puberty's really no picnic either, it's easy to see what a huge impact it can have on a girl's self-confidence. We're kicking off an epic battle to make sure that girls everywhere keep their confidence throughout puberty and beyond, and making a start by showing them that doing it #LikeAGirl is an awesome thing." "In my work as a documentarian, I have witnessed the confidence crisis among girls and the negative impact of stereotypes first-hand. When the words 'like a girl' are used to mean something bad, it is profoundly disempowering. I am proud to partner with Always to shed light on how this simple phrase can have a significant and long-lasting impact on girls and women. I am excited to be a part of the movement to redefine 'like a girl' into a positive affirmation."