#LikeaGirl campaign helps girls regain their confidence
Do we limit girls and tell them what they can't be good at?
The #LikeAGirl campaign by Always, is spreading a beautiful message.
Over the past year Always has interviewed young girls and women, asking them to talk about limitations that have been placed on them because they are girls. The most recent video series asked young girls about their experiences in being “boxed in” by others, and being told what they can’t do.
One girl said she was told, “Don’t do something too challenging.”
Another said, “I can’t rescue anybody. It’s always the boys who rescue girls in the stories.”
Always then asks the girls to write those limitations on a set of white boxes. The girls wrote:
“Can’t be brave. Girls should be perfect. Can’t be good at sports. Girls aren’t strong.”
It’s no wonder that a girl’s confidence plummets during puberty, making them more likely to accept limitations placed on them by society.
Then, watch the girls’ faces when they are told they can kick down the boxes. Their faces light up!
I applaud companies like Always and the Like a Girl campaign for helping young girls secure their confidence before society unintentionally (or intentionally) chips away at it. Let it also serve as a reminder to uplift the women in our lives and not reinforce these limitations or pass them on to our children, nieces, students, etc.
There were YouTube comments criticising Always for not mentioning that boys are also bound by gender roles. Boys are often discouraged from playing with dolls, wearing pink, or crying. But as a women’s brand, it makes complete sense for Always to focus on building the self confidence of young girls. One right doesn’t make a wrong.
Let’s not poke holes in the veil of love and self confidence that Always is casting on women, because it is very much needed. Instead, let’s share this message and tell the women in their life that they can do anything they want, #LikeAGirl.
