This past
June the #LikeAGirl campaign launched. In this video, they asked adults and
children to reenact various tasks “like a girl” would. The adult men and women
would perform the tasks, such as running in place or throwing an invisible
ball, in a way that denoted frailty or weakness. The young girls, on the other hand, ran and
threw the ball using every ounce of energy they had.
It’s no
surprise that girls and boys are socialized differently as they grow. Social
learning theory posits that we imitate what we see from those that are like us.
The stereotypical one being that boys wrestle and girls play with dolls. With
phrases like “you _____ like a girl” or “Don’t be a wimp,” it denotes there is something
inherently inferior about doing anything “like a girl” would, yet alone
actually being a girl. When the adult
women reenacted running or throwing a ball in a way that demonstrated weakness
or with the inability to be the best, what does that say about how she fundamentally
views herself and other women?
The reason
I love this video so much is because it inspires girls and women to embrace the
phrase “like a girl.” It acknowledges
that girls are different than boys, but it does so in a way that, “Yes, we may
be different, but we ARE awesome!” It makes her feel confident in her abilities
to run, throw, jump, write, and exist in a way that she embraces her strengths
and abilities to be the best person she can be. This is great for women who
have grown up to believe she is less than
because of her gender, and it’s even greater for girls who have not yet
been socially reared to believe it. With
movements like this, girls can have higher self-esteem and self-efficacy, and
that’s exactly what this world needs.
- Written by Lindsey Harper
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