Female role models undeniably play a huge part in how young girls grow up. The list of incredible women making an impact (both real and fictional) is continuing to grow, but here’s five of the more well-known women shaping how young girls view themselves and the world around them.
1. Malala Yousafzai
As the youngest winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in history, Malala fights for all children’s rights to an education. Despite being shot in the head by the Taliban for her efforts in 2012, she refused to back down and continues to fight as a women’s rights activist to this day. And she’s only 18!
2. Katniss Everdeen
A true heroine, Katniss started out thinking that she could only ever rely on herself, but came to terms with the fact that everybody needs help here and there. More importantly, she learned that asking for help doesn’t make you weak; it only means that you understand your limits. And just like Malala, she didn’t let the society she lived in stop her from fighting every step of the way.
3. Gabby Douglas
The famous 16-year-old gymnast took home not one, but two gold medals from the 2012 Olympics. The entire world watched Gabby as she defied the odds and won the biggest gymnastics prize: the gold for the all-around individual competition. Not only that, but she was also the first African American to do so!
4. Taylor Swift
Life is too short to not jam out to Taylor Swift. She fights and speaks up for victims of bullying, laughs and embraces her own flaws (helloooo Shake It Off!), and loves her fans in crazy and unheard of ways. I mean, who else would stalk her fans’ accounts so much that the hashtag #taylurking would become a thing? (This sounds creepy but I swear it’s sweet.)
5. Princess Tiana
And last, but certainly not least, there’s Princess Tiana. Let’s lay it all out there: she’s an independent African American businesswoman in 1920s America. Tiana has incredible strength and perseverance and doesn’t let the fact that she ends up a princess stop her from continuing to pursue her dream of opening her own restaurant.
If you know a younger girl that’s looking for a strong female inspiration, sit down and talk to her about Malala, listen to Taylor Swift, watch The Princess and the Frog, read The Hunger Games, or show her YouTube clips of Gabby’s performance in the Olympics. The time you take to show a younger girl a powerful role model has the potential to not only change her life, but also the lives of her friends and the others around her.