For girls to have knowledge and proof of what female empowerment means, it is important to start treating them, and talking with them from early ages. Thus they will integrate that they are masters of their future, through keys such as communication, leadership or negotiation.
These questions are learned from all socialization channels, family, friends, school, and mothers, as women we have a leading role. There is no use theorizing about the steps towards real gender equality, if later we mothers do not demonstrate this behavior and continue to distribute and adopt roles based on patriarchy at home.
Female empowerment and self-esteem
Whether you define yourself as a woman and as a mother as a feminist or not, the female empowerment generates better self-esteem. A girl with healthy self-esteem, who loves and values herself, accepting herself and seeing her full potential, will be a woman who will develop fully and, most likely, much happier. Isn't this what you want as a mother?
At a very early age, up to 12 years or so, prejudices hardly exist. It is very important that at these ages a civic behavior based on equality and respect towards oneself and others. Avoiding gender roles.
It is essential that girls, as women, believe from a young age that they have the world in their hands. They must not accept limitations or that their rights are violated. This freedom implies not having to meet expectations or sociocultural patterns, and that when he reaches adolescence he can go without fear on the street ... for example.
Female empowerment and courage
Reshma Saujani is the founder of Girls Who Code, a non-profit organization that seeks to train young women in the world of technology. You may have heard his TED talk on the empowerment of girls. If not, we recommend that you watch it with your daughter and discuss it. I assure you that it will not be wasted time.
In this talk, Reshma emphasizes the idea that most girls are taught to avoid failure and risk. Through different examples Reshma Saujani demonstrates how the "Bravery deficit" of girls affects the rest of their lives, in their personal and professional performance. Psychologist Carol Dweck did an experiment in which she observed how boys faced a difficult task as a challenge, while girls quickly gave up. The study concludes, it is evidence that women have been socialized to aspire to perfection.
So when you talk to your daughter about female empowerment, remember to teach her to be imperfect, to be brave, to dare to create and not remain paralyzed for fear of failure.
How to empower girls?
We have already said it above, the main thing is the example they see in their fathers mothers, and especially referring to female empowerment in the mother. You are going to be the mirror in which she consciously or unconsciously looks at herself. Girls learn more from what is done than from what is said to them.
From childhood, do not wait for adolescence, talk to them, listen to them and accompany them on their way. Do not judge their preferences and choices, motivate her so that they always have the best of themselves. That he accepts his limits, do not demand perfectionism in them and brilliance in them. When we talk about perfection, and more among teenagers, teach her from a young age that her physical image should not meet any requirement. All women are different and what makes us valuable are values, intelligence, personality.
It encourages their autonomy, that they never doubt that as women they have no limitations. They can achieve what they set out to do without depending on anyone. Tell him stories about scientific women, athletes, or successful, who did not settle in even more unequal societies than the current one.