Start young
From their first year, girls are presented with “girly”, cute pink sparkly kitten/princess/fairy-themed toys, media and clothes. It’s vital to give them more diverse images and ideas: trains, construction-based and rocket toys, realistic dolls, and books about girls who act as leaders and do inspiring things.
Be careful with language
Disempowering stereotypes are rife in the way we speak to girls. Be careful if complimenting them for being good or pretty to also praise them for being strong, brave and clever. Talk about growing up to be a scientist, doctor or engineer; try to use the pronoun “she” to describe people in these professions.
Give positive role models
Don’t rely on the role models society offers girls – Wags, reality TV stars and extreme examples of body types. Introduce your daughter to alternative strong, inspiring female role models who are making a difference in the world, such as Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani activist for female education. And be a good role model yourself – try not to pass on insecurities about weight, for instance.
Tell them appearance isn’t what matters
It’s crucial to make sure girls get the message that how they look doesn’t determine their value. We need to sit down with our daughters at every opportunity and explain not to listen to society’s pressure to be attractive and thin – there’s something wrong with society, not with them. The novel Only Ever Yours by Louise O’Neill is a powerful read.
Keep them safe online
From bullying on social media to being pressured to share photos and being exposed to potential abuse, online dangers put girls at risk. Make sure you know what your daughter is getting up to on her phone. Have a sit-down discussion about internet safety and monitor the websites she visits.
Educate them
Help girls to pursue their talents and not let anything limit them. Teach them “male” skills like mechanics, computer coding and encourage them to study science. It’s also important to give them knowledge and confidence about becoming a woman – for example, teaching them about their fertility. And educate yourself, too, about the issues facing girls today and how to tackle them – Tanith Carey’s Girls Uninterrupted is the ideal primer.
Eat as a family
Anorexia and bulimia are affecting girls even before their teens. By eating meals together as much as possible, you can be alert for any signs of an eating disorder developing – if your daughter is cutting down on food, or disappears to the toilet after meals.
Get them together
When girls network with one another, they realise they aren’t alone in feeling they’re imperfect and can support one another. Show them feminist blogs and websites like the Everyday Sexism project and Germmagazine.com – great examples of sisterhood.
Teach them about women’s history
Girls need to know about how and why the women’s rights movement started and why it’s still a good thing to be a feminist. So tell them about the suffragettes and the growth of feminism in the 1970s. The British Library’s fantastic online resource Sisterhood and After is packed full of stories and articles charting the rise of feminism in the UK.
Open their eyes to the bigger world
Encourage your daughter to work for a cause that matters to her – it could be raising money for a charity, volunteering at a food bank or animal shelter, or helping set up an eco-garden. Doing something that makes a difference will help her to realise her own abilities and the impact she can make, as well as instilling positive values.
GapKids’ latest campaign GIRL with Ellen DeGeneres features modern girls who are reaching their dreams and igniting change. Gap’s campaign is not encouraging them to be more like boys, but rather to be exactly who they are.
Girl empowerment begins with us all.
Introducing GapKids ED
For doers, dancers and dreamers, bikers, boarders and builders – the GapKids ED collection is empowering girls everywhere. A collaboration with Ellen DeGeneres’ new lifestyle brand, ED – available at Gap stores and online at gap.co.uk/ed
