From birth, girls are treated differently than boys in the most superficial ways. Though the world is getting better at not forcing gender roles onto our kids, we still give boys trucks and give girls cooking sets and dollhouses.
We’re so over this stereotypical view of gender. Ugh! Here are some other annoying and stereotypical thing that society tries to say is “off-limits” for women, but what we do all the time!
1. Experimentation
I don’t know about you, but I got into way more trouble in school than my brother did.
if you assume that only boys experiment with substances and intoxicants, you could be missing the signs that your daughter needs help. Addiction knows no gender boundaries. Better understanding addiction treatment can ease your concerns and dispel any gender-based myths about substance use disorder. Addiction knows no gender boundaries. But neither does treatment.
2. Exploring
Caves are dark, scary, and full of bats. And in Canmore, caves are also full of women explorers. Contrary to what you see on the cover of Outside magazine (re: men), women are traveling the world and exploring unknown territories just as often as our counter-gender.
3. Boxing
We teach girls not to hit, and that’s absolutely stupid. Good thing we don’t listen! I took karate all the way up until my brown belt, and I know tons of women who take kickboxing. Learning basic defensive skills can only help you, should you ever have to use them. Check out this great list of girls who grew up to be the greatest female boxers of all time.
4. Coding
Gender discrimination is a long acknowledged problem in the field of technology. Comp-sci classes are full of your men and very few young women. It starts with opportunity based on outmoded stereotypes.
When given the chance, we have discovered that some of the most talented coders are women. Young girls don’t have any harder time learning their way around a computer than boys. And they have no fewer ideas for applications to create. Girls can learn to code. Moreover, they really enjoy it.
5. Geeking out on Sci-fi
Science is gender neutral. Women have made their mark on physics as well as space travel. They are just as fascinated with all things science as boys.
Star Trek gave us a black female bridge officer way back in the 60s in one of the greatest adventures of all time. Fandom of all sci-fi is well represented.
You will find no shortage of women and girls at shows like Comic-Con. There are more female leading roles than ever. Wonder Woman was a surprise hit. Star Wars has seen the light and is reaping the success from giving women lead roles. Pretty soon, a new generation of fans will no longer think of a man first when they think of a Jedi.
6. Math
It used to be said that women were no good at math. That was not true then and is not true today. A major study authored by Janet Mertz showed conclusively that the only thing holding girls back in math is societal expectations and inequality. In countries where gender equality thrives, so too did female math performance. If you want your daughter to be good at math, stop buying her shirts that say things like, “Math is hard. Let’s go shopping.”
7. Taking the Lead
Women have led everything from households to countries for centuries. As with math, it is hard to develop leadership skills when there is a cultural bias against giving you a chance to develop them. But with or without opportunity, girls are natural born leaders. They happily take leadership positions on the playground, at home, at work, in church, in politics, and everywhere else the glass ceiling has grown thin enough to break through.
Are there biological differences between boys and girls? Absolutely! And that is a great thing. Diversity is nature’s way of keeping things interesting. But don’t let those differences fool you into believing that your daughters don’t have the same desires and aptitudes as your sons. If you want the world to have a better choice of leaders, raise daughters who are free of gender stereotypes.
