Empowering Our Girls and Women: A future we need
Hello!
I am kicking off Women's History Month with some thoughts on empowering our girls and women. I would like to add that all of what you will read below applies to all genders - but for this post, I am concentrating on celebrating our girls and women.
I want to live in a world where our girls feel confident, brave, celebrated and supported. I want them to hear positive messages and feel nurtured by those around them. I want the violence against girls and women to STOP! Let's come together to do our best at showing this generation of girls and women that they can fly to great heights, find a cure, lead a country, be adventurous, get dirty, solve problems, DREAM BIG and BE SAFE!
Encourage the girls around you!
Encourage girls to take leadership roles. Nurture their dreams, whatever they may be. Share media such as books and movies, where girls are taking on "non-traditional" roles. Share stories of women in current and historical times that do not fit the gender "stereotypes."
One of my favorite pages to follow is A Mighty Girl. You can find books, movies, toys and blogs all related to honoring our girls and women. I highly recommend you check them out for incredible resources. You can also find their website here.
Boost their self-esteem!
See the magic as you encourage the girls and women in your life to respectfully speak their opinions. Encourage the girls to talk kindly to themselves by modeling what that looks like by speaking kindly to yourself.
Teach them to boost-up others!
Teach them from a young age to speak kindly about other girls and how to respectfully stand up for kindness towards other girls. You can successfully nurture this behavior through modeling it yourself.
Mentor a girl!
Support and be a positive influence on girls and women in your own community. Find organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, Boys and Girls Club, women's shelters, volunteer in school mentor programs, etc.
Invest!
Whether it's a local lemonade and cookie stand, or a larger business idea, invest in those entrepreneurial girls.
Support their dreams!
Nurture their dreams! Allow them to dream big, support their ideas and thoughts, and encourage them that they can do whatever they set out to do, big or small!
(*trigger warning) Protecting and supporting girls and women in crisis.
Tragically, millions of girls are subjected to child labor, trafficking, abuse, and other violent offenses. Support by giving your voice, time, or funds to equipped them with skills, education, health care, counseling and other programs that empower them and pull them out of these awful cycles of violence.
Show the girls and women in your life that you care!
This starts right in our own homes, schools, and workplaces. Send a kind note, give an encouraging smile, lend words of support, be kind, listen, and let them dream big. Let's empower our girls and women to be their best-selves.
Tell me:
What have you committed to? What do you plan to commit to doing? In your home? Community? Afar? To support the strength, self-esteem, and dreams of girls and women?
I would love to hear from you! marcelle.feel.links@gmail.com You may be featured in a FeelLinks follow up story!
With gratitude,
xoxo Marcelle