11 Ways Dads Can Help Raise Strong Daughters

2016-03-16T13:00:17+00:00March 16, 2016|Empowering girls, Guest bloggers, How to|

Mike Reynolds' daughter playing drumsThis post was originally published on Puzzling Posts.

Six nights out of seven, our oldest daughter, now a very proud “five and three quarters,” will fall asleep with a book on her chest. The book often changes—sometimes it’s about Christmas carollers, sometimes it’s a book about Barbie becoming a doctor. Sometimes she reads the same books about animals that I read when I was growing up and sometimes she reads stories she’s helped write herself.

Her mind, at this point, is incredibly fertile, and it’s an amazing privilege for us to be able to watch the many plants start to grow in that amazing young mind of hers. But it’s also terrifying how easy it is for seeds we didn’t plant to take root.

How Girls’ Group Mentoring Makes a Difference

2016-03-14T13:05:34+00:00March 14, 2016|Empowering girls, How to|

Two girls smilingHow do we know that mentoring programs make a big difference in girls’ lives?

Because the girls tell us:

For once, I feel like I belong somewhere.”

“It makes me feel happy because I am with people I know, and I know everyone there has something different to share every time, and I feel like I have a whole second family.” 
 
“My mentors taught me that it is OK to be me. They also taught me to love myself.”

Creating Safe Spaces for Trans Girls

2016-03-10T14:35:33+00:00March 10, 2016|Empowering girls|

Four children laying in a circleA safe space. It’s the magnet that draws many participants to the girls’ programs funded by the Canadian Women’s Foundation. The programs offer an oasis where girls age nine and up can connect, develop new skills, build confidence and, most importantly, be themselves.

But how do we ensure that these programs are safe spaces for kids who are questioning their gender or who identify as transgender?

It’s an important question, given the growing awareness about creating supportive environments for transgender youth. Children may start questioning their gender from a fairly young age: a report from the Trans PULSE project says that 59% of survey respondents knew their gender identity did not match their assigned gender before age 10 and 80% knew by age 14.

Some Clothes Cost More Than You Think

2017-12-19T17:12:35+00:00March 8, 2016|Empowering girls, Women in media|

As We Are Poster“Girls just want to wear diamonds.”

“Allergic to Algebra.”

“I’m too pretty to do homework, so my brother has to do it for me.”

“Future trophy wife.”

It’s hard to believe, but stores in Canada market girls’ T-shirts bearing disempowering messages like these. Stereotypes sell, even though they’re the last thing girls need.