Empower Girls to Speak Out, Don't Shut Them Up

I hate it when Americans pontificate about the plight of girls in other countries, then silence their own women. I know women are abused. I pray for them and support empowerment missions, like Amnesty, WAR and Global Girlfriend. I'm all for the "Girl Rising" type projects.



It our hypocrisy I object to. In our supposed enlightened nation, girls have low self-esteem issues 3.5 times more than boys. Girls don't speak up, don't take leadership, don't assert their intelligence. They play dumb and weak. They cater to men, plan their lives around their boyfriends. They kowtow and shut up, when they should speak out. And you don't have to be nasty to do it. It's possible to be assertive and authoritative without being a b--ch (as we outspoken women get called). But however it needs to happen, girls, don't hold your tongue. Ban Bossy, Empower Girls to Speak Out, Not Tell Them to Shut Up