Empowering girls Archives - Page 14 of 34 - Canadian Women's Foundation

Effective Empowerment: Strategies for Young Girls with Disabilities

Effective Empowerment: Strategies for Young Girls with Disabilities

Ilanna Mandel2017-12-19T16:27:15+00:00July 11, 2017|Empowering girls, How to|

The word ‘empowerment’ has been popular for many years. In Effective Empowerment: Strategies for Accessible Education, I note that empowerment is “…based on the idea that giving people skills, resources, opportunities, and strategies will enable them to be accountable for their own actions, and will contribute to their independence, competence, and satisfaction.”

When it comes to disabled girls ages 8-12, the challenges they face in reaching empowerment are often the same issues that their non-disabled peers face. However, they also face their own specific hurdles.

Confidence is Crucial

Confidence is Crucial

Beth Malcolm2017-12-19T16:27:49+00:00June 28, 2017|Corporate, Empowering girls|

This is the sixth post in the Confidence Stories series in partnership with Always®. Confidence Stories feature stories, tips and ideas to support girls, build their confidence, and encourage them to Keep Playing #LikeAGirl.

Most girls start out strong in life: they score higher than boys in reading and writing, they tend to make friends more easily, and they have stronger verbal skills. However, as they approach adolescence, many girls start to struggle.

Research shows that only 14% of girls in Grade 10 feel confident, yet confidence is at the core of a number of positive outcomes for girls, including higher grades, better physical health, more career choices, and higher earning potential.

When a girl feels confident, she is also more likely to ask for help, to have the strength to resist peer pressure, to cope better with conflict and other problems, and to not blame herself if she is assaulted.

Challenging Gender Stereotypes to Prove #ABoyCanToo: Q&A with Kirsten McGoey

Challenging Gender Stereotypes to Prove #ABoyCanToo: Q&A with Kirsten McGoey

Brittni Jacobson2017-12-19T16:28:00+00:00June 26, 2017|Empowering girls|

When photographer Kirsten McGoey was searching for a fresh way to practice her art, she didn’t have to look far for inspiration: her middle son sparked her photo series #ABoyCanToo. “He beats to his own drum,” says Kirsten. “While a lover of math and science, he is often drawn to things that are not considered male by society.”

#ABoyCanToo is a series of lifestyle and studio portraits featuring boys aged 4-16 whose interests and hobbies defy gender norms. "The objective is to support the boys who are making these choices, and who are influencing people to understand that they are acceptable choices for young men to make,” says Kirsten, who launched the project out of her hometown of Whitby, Ontario in 2016.

In the following Q&A, she discusses how the photoshoots empower boys, and how challenging gender stereotypes relates to gender equality.

Empowering Girls Through Culture, History, and Friendship: Strong Girls of Inlailawatash

Empowering Girls Through Culture, History, and Friendship: Strong Girls of Inlailawatash

Brittni Jacobson2017-12-19T16:28:36+00:00June 15, 2017|Empowering girls|

When a shy girl gradually emerges from her shell and develops the confidence to lead a group activity, Jennifer Hamman knows that the Strong Girls of Inlailawatash program is succeeding.

“Just seeing them take those opportunities to take a little risk, to be a little vulnerable, and to let themselves just be themselves has been a really awesome thing to watch.”

The program, which receives funding from the Canadian Women's Foundation, provides a rare girls-only space for Tsleil-Waututh First Nation girls aged 9-13.

The Tsleil-Waututh community is set on the Burrard Inlet, surrounded by urban North Vancouver. As program coordinator, Hamman organizes the weekly program meetings, which aim to foster healthy relationships and connect the girls to their culture in a positive way. Hamman, who is also the Tsleil-Waututh Community Therapist, talks about how the program helps develop girls’ confidence, connectedness, and resilience.

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