Girl power. What does this simple phrase from our childhood really mean?
For me, it refers to the group of smart, strong and determined women who gathered together all those years ago in order to give women in America the right to be. It refers to those women who granted me the right to sit here, as a woman, and write this article, to and for other women.
I do question, though, what most women make of this phrase. I like to think that most of us are supportive and loving of one another; that we see awesome women doing kick-ass things in life (getting degrees, becoming CEOs, saving lives, owning businesses, making human beings in their bodies, standing up for what they believe in, etc.) and feel pride and inspiration. But we can’t deny that since our youth, we have been trained otherwise.
As girls, we saw each other through a competitive (and often jealous) lens, whenever it came to boys or clothes or whatever else seemed important in our youth. Often, that mentality carries over into our teens and, sadly, even into our twenties – if we’re being honest, we all sometimes eye that girl with really nice clothes at Midtown with jealousy, instead of thinking, “She looks so good!”
Disclaimer – this is not to say that all women think or act the same. In fact, it is necessary that our individualities thrive in order to inspire and enlighten one another. But, we can’t ignore the huge issue we all share: We bring each other down because of our differences. We must grow far apart from thinking that we want what other women have or that what we bring to the table isn’t as good as what another girl has to offer. Instead, we have to begin embracing ourselves, of course, and then the women around us in order to empower each other.
As women, we are linked not only by the shared struggle of monthly cramps or waking up with our hair in one huge untamed knot but also by something that should feel a lot like sisterhood. Through this link, we need to develop a deep appreciation for each other instead of constantly competing among ourselves for all the wrong reasons.
Always remember that girls run the world – because Beyoncé says it, so it must be true. But, we will run it the best when we have the love, support and encouragement of each other.
Photo Credit: upliftconnect.com