It’s 2015, and women are really making their mark on the world. Germany has Angela Merkel as its Chancellor, Malala Yousafzai became the youngest person to ever win a Nobel Peace Prize, and more women than ever are enrolled in college. However, our gender still continues to face issues such as gender bias or skewed expectations placed upon us by society. Multiple companies have created unique campaigns sparking conversation and action to show the female gender how powerful, creative, and beautiful they are on the inside and out.
Cover Girl launched a campaign to show that girls can do anything. In the video we see P!nk, Becky G, Janelle Monae, Katy Perry, Sofia Vergara, Queen Latifah, and Ellen DeGeneres echoing “girls can’t,” a phrase that is heard way too often in this world. Girls are told they can’t follow their dreams, and that they are less than men. If you dream of becoming a singer, an athlete, or a chef, you don’t need to ask permission or wait for someone to offer up an opportunity. We have to chase that dream and go after what we want to do. CoverGirl showed girls that they can do anything they set their minds to by having their powerful spokeswomen talk about how society said they couldn’t do something but succeeded anyways. Their multiple outstanding achievements prove that in fact, girls can and girls will! To have a prominent cosmetics company highlight such a variety of successful women really sends a powerful message that despite your feminine qualities, you’re still as capable as everyone else to succeed in anything you do.
We all know that situation when a boy won’t let a girl participate in an activity because they aren’t strong enough or fast enough to be a winner. Even when a boy misses a chance to score, or does something in a weak way, he performed “like a girl.” Always’ campaign shows how this phrase is something that has been perpetuated in society, equating being a girl to something subpar. Through this campaign Always aims to change the stigma associated with the phrase “like a girl” by showing the world that doing things like a girl isn’t a bad thing. By calling attention to how some people react when told to act “like a girl,” it reminds us to ignore those sexiest insults, while showing the world that “Like A Girl” is a good thing and we should be proud to be one.
3. Comfortable by Jubilee Project
The question “If you could change one thing about your body, what would it be?” was asked to 50 random people, ranging from the young and the elderly of both genders. Most adults answered with whichever part of their bodies makes them uncomfortable—stretch marks after giving birth, a prominent forehead, or big “Dumbo” ears. Those features that made them unique were also the things they hated and wanted to change. Then, when kids were asked the same question, they said they wanted to improve their bodies with cheetah legs or a mermaid tail, instead of changing something they disliked. Those children who hadn’t been introduced to society’s high standards of beauty thought they were perfect just the way they were, which is true. With this campaign, Jubilee Project wants to show people the importance of loving their bodies and to embrace their flaws.
4. Pottymouthed Princesses by FCKH8
We all hated that moment when our parents washed our mouths out with soap because we said a bad word. As unsavory as this practice was, it ingrained a message in our head that these words are not okay to say. The most common one is the forbidden “F-word.” This campaign shows people that there are certain words that do not qualify as curse words, but should still elicit as much of a reaction if they heard a 10–year–old girl use the F word in a sentence. Hearing “sexual assault” in a conversation doesn’t cause anyone to blink, nor does “pay inequality,” despite both terms referring to struggles women constantly face. FCKH8’s Feminism campaign wanted to start a conversation about how discriminatory words and actions degrading women are just as bad as swearing, and that parents should teach children to not be okay with them. After all, kids are the future of our country.
This campaign features a montage of scenes with women apologizing. A woman who wants to talk to someone, begins with “I’m sorry, but…” A guy steps in the woman’s way, yet she’s the one offering the apology. The video clip brings to light that women shouldn’t have to apologize for these things. Women shouldn’t have to apologize in order to succeed, or take their rightful place next to men. Just because you are a woman doesn’t mean you are less important than anybody else. The issue the Not Sorry campaign highlights is that we rarely see men apologizing for inputting their ideas or voicing an opinion. So why should women? The video ends with women replaying their situations and not apologizing. #SorryNotSorry
6. I Am That GirlHave you ever caught yourself criticizing a girl you’ve never even met, solely on her appearance? Or do you often find yourself believing you aren’t good enough based on somebody else’s successes? I Am That Girl is a campaign that focuses on bringing girls together to uplift and support one another instead of comparing or degrading each other to get ahead. That Girl, from their title, is described as “the best version of each of us… [who’s] got a smokin’ hot heart and drop dead gorgeous mind… who seeks to be confident in her own skin.” Their goal is to help girls avoid the self-doubt message seen in so many advertisements and to focus on self-love. Many schools have chapters of I Am That Girl, including Drexel. Kelsey Gringer was featured as a campus celeb due to her amazing work with this organization. The Drexel chapter meets once a week to discuss situations they’ve found themselves in and other issues facing young women today. Take a look at the bottom of their homepage to get a quick dose of what their organization is about and make sure to sign the pledge!
7. GoldieBlox:Thanks to their awesome viral commercial during the 2014 Super Bowl, GoldieBlox has become a household name, along with their mission. The founder of this company has set out to show girls that engineering can be fun, and that it’s not just for boys. When she found out that girls started losing interest in math, science, and technology around the age of eight, she set out to create a line of construction toys that could keep girls interested in these topics. She hoped to dispel the idea that toys which required building and critical thinking were specifically “boy toys.” The company’s goal, as put on their website, is “to disrupt the pink aisle and inspire the future generation of female engineers.” GoldieBlox sends out kits that kids can assemble any way they want to create a cool new machine. By combining creativity with construction, this company shows girls that they can build stuff right along with the guys, keeping their interest alive so they can make their mark in the engineering and technical fields.
8. Ban BossyAnother campaign set on encouraging girls to compete with boys at a young age is Ban Bossy. Beyoncé, Condoleezza Rice, Jennifer Garner, and many more celebs have teamed up with the Lean In organization to let girls know assertive doesn’t mean bossy. Some of the shocking statistics on their site show that women are twice as likely to avoid taking on leadership positions that might portray them as bossy. This isn’t just in the working world, it starts in the classroom as girls are picked to answer less and interrupted more by others when compared to their male counterparts. By using powerful and influential celebrities to get their message across, the Ban Bossy campaign is showing young girls that ruling the world doesn’t mean you’re bossy: it means you’re awesome. In their effort to tear down the idea of assertive women being described with a negative connotation, Lean In and the Ban Bossy movement are hoping to eliminate that hesitation young girls feel when they want to strongly defend their opinions and ideas, from the classroom to the boardroom.
9. Girls Who Code“This is more than just a program. It’s a movement.” is the first line that shows up on the Girls Who Code website’s “About” section and is a quote from their founder and CEO, Reshma Saujani. This strongly describes all of the campaigns mentioned here but really hits home with the goal to get girls coding and interested in computer careers. They host events around the country along with online sessions to really(omit) encourage girls to benefit from their love of computers. Many computer programs aren’t introduced to high school students, despite their interest in technology so this organization offers an opportunity for girls to work with HTML, JavaScript, and Python without waiting to attend college-level courses. Many of the girls who’ve gone through their programs feel more empowered when they leave, even if they choose to do things that aren’t necessarily coding related. They exit the program with the knowledge they can do anything they love, with or without a coding background
Another site worth noting if you’re interested in learning more about coding is madewithcode.com sponsored by Google.
10. Real Beauty by DoveBy now everyone has probably seen one of the many Dove commercials that focus on true beauty, the most recent being “Love your Curls.” This company has set its sights on helping women achieve a mindset where they feel comfortable referring to themselves as “beautiful.” Besides curls, they’ve had campaigns to love your selfie, your reflection, and being in front of the camera, all while boosting women’s self-esteem. They also use the hashtag #beautyis to hear what social media has to say about finding yourself to be beautiful inside and out. This company really goes above and beyond what a typical consumer would expect from such a major soap and lotion brand. While encouraging us to be kind to ourselves on the outside by not using harmful chemicals, it also encourages us to be kind to ourselves on the inside by believing we’re all beautiful in our own ways.
Watch the videos and be inspired. Close out Women’s History Month with confidence in your abilities, your worth, and your uniqueness.