How to Teach Feminism to Young Girls
Young girls develop perceptions about gender from family, friends and the media. Even parents who might not identify themselves as feminists want their young daughters to grow up to be well-adjusted women, confident in their sexuality and prepared to achieve any goals they choose to set. Many young girls today don't fully appreciate the opportunities they have that some of their ancestors didn't. It's important to teach young girls about feminism so they'll be equipped to take full advantage of all life has to offer.
Instructions
Watch television with your daughter and point out examples in commercials or music videos of sexualized, objectified women. Help her become aware of the danger of linking her self-esteem to unrealistic, unhealthy body images portrayed in commercials or print advertisements. Explain what stereotypes are. Encourage young girls to recognize stereotypical thinking and to understand how limiting it can be. Feminist Author Ellie Levenson points out on the TesConnect website that most children still assume prestigious professions, such as philosopher, scientist and mathematician, are exclusively male roles. She suggests that schools' curricula should emphasize women in nontraditional roles. Encourage young girls to find positive, female role models. Purchase books or provide Internet articles about famous female historical figures. Tell them stories that highlight the courage of the early feminist leaders, such as Emily Pankhurst, who were instrumental in achieving womens' rights. Teach your daughter the importance of keeping all her options open. Some early feminists rejected the traditional role of stay-at-home mother and felt they had to place their infants in day care. In the "Huffington Post," Columnist Lydia Lovric suggests young girls should be taught to value all roles, including full-time motherhood. Help your daughter identify feminism. Explain that feminism means equal opportunity. Lovric points out that many young women who say they are not feminists hold feminist ideals, such as expectations of equal pay and fair division of household duties. Explain to young girls it's possible to be self-confident and assertive without becoming aggressive. They can learn to strike a balance between actively chasing their dreams and being considerate of others. Teach them feminism is not the same as selfishness. Teach that feminism doesn't mean hating men. Some women reject the notion of feminism because they find some of the ideas falsely associated with feminism, such as anger and hatred toward the opposite sex, objectionable.
