Women’s History Month at Twirl: Giving girls a voice for our future
WE ARE VOLCANOES. When we women offer our experience as our truth, all the maps change. There are new mountains. That’s what I want — to hear you erupting. You Mount Saint Helens-es who don’t know the power in you — I want to hear you… If we don’t tell our truth, who will?” — Ursula LeGuin
Women’s History Month is a celebration of women’s contributions to history, culture and society and has been observed annually in March in the United States since 1987. Throughout history, women have made extraordinary contributions to their societies. Some are well-known, some less so, but all have been trailblazers. This year’s theme is “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories.” Since the beginning of time, women have passed along our heritage in storytelling, art, music, print and more.
In today’s global world, empowered girls have a unique power to lift their communities, driving the change they want to see in their local and broader worlds. A quick Google search will yield dozens and dozens of listicles featuring girls and women of change and their impact throughout history and in the present day. Persisting, despite the long and equally well-documented list of barriers to a female’s right to equality. Gender roles, pay gaps, and differences in opportunities and healthcare are just some of the many ways women experience the world differently from men.
This year’s Women’s History Month theme resonates because a critical component to the success of women throughout history and in the present day is a focus on the foundational skill of communication. As a once-labeled “bossy” child, I have experienced how crucial building skills around healthy and direct communication substantially impacts every human relationship throughout life. This has become even more important as I teach and model communication for my young communicators.
The world is constantly changing, and while still in the minority, women’s voices are amplified in rooms where change and policy are happening to create a different world for this generation of children. How will the girls of today tell our story tomorrow? How will we teach them to communicate fearlessly and compassionately?
Research shows that the home is the first environment girls can learn to navigate and negotiate conflict, learning first from their caregivers, then in the larger world around them. How we communicate in our homes, both verbally and nonverbally, sets the tone for showing girls how to face the world. This learning is critical for girls to know how to communicate their freedom of expression healthily, encouraging them to shrug off the notion that transparent communication is not mean; it’s clear. During Twirl events, families are encouraged to play, create and explore; share ideas; and work together toward a common goal.
Here are some ideas for encouraging your girls to be the voice of our future:
Build on your girl’s emotional vocabulary:
The ability to read and understand the feelings of others contributes to a child’s development and social success. Create a “Feelings Bank” and fill it with all the emotions you and your child can imagine. Play emotional charades, acting out feelings with your whole body and no words. For an older girl, roleplay! Create scenarios your child might encounter and have them act out how they might act and react. Go over situations that didn’t end well, examine the emotions of the people involved, and talk with your child about what could have been done differently.
Play active listening games: Listening is vital to effective communication, and taking the time to really listen to what girls are saying is crucial. Further, good listeners tend to be successful in speaking, socializing and communicating with others. Additionally, listening to children builds up their self-esteem, independence, confidence and attention span. Simple games like “Simon Says” and “Telephone” are fun for any age. For an older girl, take turns listening to each other for 3 minutes. At the end of each talking session, the listener shares back remembered details from their listening session.
Make it a STEAM project: Gather some modeling clay, a craft stick and a timer. Sit with your child, or have your children sit together and challenge them to mold an animal out of clay in two minutes. Don’t overthink it! When the timer goes off, share your answers to these questions (don’t forget to ask “why”): Was it tricky to mold a new object in two minutes?; What was your favorite, most challenging, etc., to mold?; Do you like sculpting with clay?; Did you find it easy or difficult to use?; How do you feel about sharing your creations? Working together and reflecting on your experiences together help build vocabulary around a shared experience.
While there has been significant progress in women’s rights over time, substantial challenges remain, and new barriers are present. Based on current rates of progress, UN Women estimates that women and girls will not achieve complete equality with men and boys for another 300 years. Locally, New Mexico women earn only $0.79 for every $1 made by a man, below the national pay gap of $0.82; Making the need to amplify the voices of the next generation of girls even more paramount.