Role Models

Role models inspire by showing us what is possible. They not only help us imagine where we might go, but they also allow us to create a map to get there. Same-gender role models are essential and have been shown to have a bigger impact on women. 

It’s a good time for female role models. 

Females in leadership roles around the globe have received props for handling the pandemic. The US elected its first female vice president. An all-female team captured the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The women’s soccer team is winning world cups and waging a public, uphill battle for equal pay. Women are claiming a place in what once seemed a permanent men’s club: the armed forces’ elite special operations ranks. And a young woman’s poetry captivated the presidential inaugural ceremony.

Ideally, the portrayal is realistic and attainable.

Adolescent girls want to please and judge themselves harshly when they don’t measure up to their self-imposed rampant perfectionism. Experts caution that while it’s wonderful to point out role models’ accomplishments, it’s equally important for girls to see the screw-ups, failures, and struggles, and heavy doses of perseverance in their role models. Focusing on seemingly effortless success can deflate instead of inspire, playing into girls’ worst flawed thinking patterns.



Offering girls a safe place to discover who they are and empowering them to embrace their passion and vision, such as Female Strong’s IDEA Camp , is a step in the right direction. It’s a week dedicated to encouraging girls through inspiration, confidence, and collaboration to help them on their journey to becoming strong, capable women. As well as the Young Entrepreneurs Academy, a 21-week program where girls learn how to start a business. 

The Role of Social Media

Traversing the journey through adolescence has always been taxing. The new kid on the block that yields a lot of power is social media. It’s a double-edged sword for middle schoolers. It can be a place where kids are severely judged, but it is also often the only safe space kids can express themselves honestly. 

Given that girls spend more than two hours a day on social media, compared to boys at 90 minutes, according to Common Sense Media in 2019, it’s not surprising that reports have surfaced citing the negative impact social media could be having on adolescents especially girls. 



Leadership

For many years the so-called solution to help more women become leaders has been to emulate men, based on the fallacy that since men hold a majority of the top leadership roles, they must be doing something right. Decades of rigorous research point out that although men make up most leaders, they underperform when compared with female leaders.

As documented by multiple studies (The World Bank and Peterson Institute), strong female leadership improves families’ and communities’ status, enhances employee productivity, and increases corporate profitability. According to the Harvard Business Review, organizations that increased the number of women in executive and board positions to 30 percent saw a 15 percent increase in profitability.



We all have a role to play in changing the look of leadership in our world. Female Strong invites and encourages you to be part of our work as we empower girls to step into business and life.