11/14/2016
Read on for some helpful tips on how to raise a girl to be a leader!
Many parents strive to raise their daughters to be leaders -- and their sons to be supportive of women in leadership roles -- but a recent Harvard study has found that biases against girls and women in leadership are more deeply ingrained than expected. Richard Weissbourd, the psychologist who runs Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Making Caring Common Project (MCC), says he was “surprised by the extent of it... how gendered both the boys’ and the girls’ responses were.” Fortunately, he adds, "parents and teachers can do a great deal to stem these biases and help children manage them.”
Wiessbourd explains that the study on bias emerged from MCC's research on teaching empathy and kindness to kids and teens: "We were concerned that biases get in the way of people caring about and respecting other people, so our initial study was just looking at biases.And one of the striking findings that emerged was gender bias.” The study found that 23% of girls and 40% of boys preferred male political leaders, while only 8% of girls and 4% of boys preferred female leaders (the remaining children expressed no gender preference). This male-preference bias applies all the way from student council to Congress. In fact, further survey questions revealed that students were most likely to support granting a student council more power if white boys were in charge and least likely if it was run by white girls. These results held true for adult participants as well, indicating that even parents had more trust in student councils run by boys than girls.
Of course, such disturbing results raise that question of what we can do to help prevent the emergence of such gender bias in children. In an excellent piece in The Washington Post, the MCC staff offer parents and educators five ways they can address this issue with kids. Checking your own bias is a good beginning: even simple things like saying “police officer” instead of “policeman” and avoiding sentences that use phrases like “all girls” or “all boys” can help. At home, you can create a “bias-free” zone by ensuring that tasks are divided equally and by discussing gender and stereotypes openly. Addressing stereotyping head-on will help children identify them on their own; soon, it’ll be your kids who are pointing out that there don’t seem to be any female mechanics on TV or that nearly all of the animal characters in picture books are male.
When talking to boys, it’s important not to excuse inappropriate language or behavior; sons and male students need to know that “boys will be boys” is never an acceptable response for demeaning behavior toward girls. At the same time, encouraging boys to express their whole selves -- including their emotional, artistic, or nurturing sides -- will help them feel confident when they stand up against poor behavior from their peers. Along the same lines, when teaching girls, make sure they have opportunities to lead and to practice leadership skills like public speaking and decision-making. Giving girls the confidence to take a leadership role means they’re more likely to do so when a possibility interests them.
To read all of MCC's tips for raising girls to lead and fighting gender bias on The Washington Post, visit http://wapo.st/1gj4tdZ
Richard Weissbourd is the author of the highly recommended parenting book "The Parents We Mean To Be: How Well-Intentioned Adults Undermine Children's Moral and Emotional Development" at http://www.amightygirl.com/the-parents-we-mean-to-be
For an excellent guide for girls on how to approach over 200 social situations with confidence, including how to express confidence through body language, we highly recommend "A Smart Girl’s Guide to Knowing What to Say" for ages 9 to 12 at http://www.amightygirl.com/a-smart-girl-s-guide-to-knowing-what-to-say
For a helpful guide for teen girls, ages 13 and up, on how to assert themselves and voice their opinions, check out "Express Yourself: A Teen Girl's Guide to Speaking Up and Being Who You Are" at http://www.amightygirl.com/express-yourself-guide
For an uplifting picture book about an irrepressible Mighty Girl who won't let the criticism of others hold her back, we highly recommend "Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon" for ages 4 to 8 at http://www.amightygirl.com/stand-tall-molly-lou-melon
A wonderful book for young children about countering stereotypes is “Not All Princesses Dress in Pink” featuring a diverse array of princesses that climb trees, play sports, stomp in mud puddles, and drive dump trucks -- all while wearing a tiara and clothing of every color in the rainbow! For ages 4 to 8 at http://www.amightygirl.com/not-all-princesses-dress-in-pink
For more books to help give your Mighty Girl the confidence to express herself and recognize the power of her voice, visit our "Self-Confidence" book section for reading recommendations for children and teens at http://amgrl.co/1JWBbxb
