What do you think of when someone says "You throw like a girl."? Chances are, it's negative. "Throw like a girl" is used to say "You're weak." or, "That was a terrible throw." Why is this? Why is doing things, "Like a girl" a bad thing? Many of the most influential and talented people in the world are girls. Examples include Michelle Obama, Angelina Jolie, J.K. Rowling, and Eleanor Roosevelt among many others. In the election this year, a woman is running for president. Girls have proved time and time again that we are just as capable as boys. So, why isn't doing things, "Like a girl" a compliment?
And this isn't just about an offensive phrase people throw around; according to the National Girls Collaborative Project, females make up just 29% of the STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) workforce, despite equal achievement in K-12 STEM courses. The Women's Sports Foundation found that by the age of 14, girls are dropping out of sports at two times the rate that boys are. None of these things are because girls are any worse than boys, it is because of the underlying message that females are simply not as capable. We could be deprived of incredible athletes and scientists, just because society decided that boys could do those things better. So why not make, "Like a girl" a positive phrase? Imagine how humanity could be benefitted.
4 Comments
Lucy
10/26/2016 12:57:26 pm
I completely agree with your point. There are so many gender stereotypes and they make so many people feel bad about themselves. I really like that you put in factual evidence to back yourself up. You really know your stuff!
Reply
Kelli Meaney
11/6/2016 06:56:56 am
I agree wholeheartedly, Zoe! Sometimes you can turn the negative spin on "you throw like a girl" into a positive spin by repeating the comment using an energizing tone of voice, adding positive words like: yes, absolutely, dang right I throw like a girl, girls rock!
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorJust an 8th grader trying to make it through middle school language arts Archives
March 2017
Categories |