“Rewriting the Rules:” Building Confidence in Young Girls

Last fall, the folks at Always launched a campaign to combat negative stereotypes associated with young girls, ages 10-12. The campaign’s focus – removing the stigma associated with the phase “like a girl.” The commercial, which went public in June 2014, seemed to fly under the radar except for a three-minute spot on GMA and the views it received on the internet. However, it appears the campaign is about to get another opportunity to reach an even broader audience on Sunday during the Super Bowl.

This is not the first time a large brand company has worked to improve/“rewrite” the way we view girls and women in America. Dove’s ‘Real Beauty’ campaign was very successful and continues to question our notion of beauty 10 years after its initial first launch. Like the Real Beauty campaign, #LikeAGirl is an important initiative because it keeps the conversation relevant in the minds of parents, educators, even advertisers who (for better or worse) have the power to influence the cultural landscape. This also matters because I believe it is important to help girls build and maintain a healthy self-esteem at a young age.

Let’s face it … society’s view of women can be demeaning and often unforgiving. As a result, we cannot afford to wait to empower and inspire girls. Building the self-esteem (self-worth) of young girls must be done while they are young. tlb

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