Representation matters, and when girls see women with confidence, motivation and passion excelling in their fields, it’s easier for them to imagine themselves doing the same. That’s because girls naturally look to the women in their lives for cues. As Billie Jean King famously said, “You have to see it to be it.” Seeing women actively pursue and achieve their goals helps girls believe that they can do the same. This means we need to make sure they can see beyond the limitations and the stereotypes that our culture places on them and help them follow their own paths. In fact, that is more important now than ever.
However, before we look too far into the future, we need to realize where young girls are now, and the issues they face today. That means we need to close the dream gap and remove the biases our girls face from the day they are born. Dictionary.com defines the dream gap as “a phenomenon where young girls, due to social constructions that women are less capable and valuable than men, are held back from living up to their full potential.” And from my own observations, I see the dream gap as preventing many girls from even trying.
How does the dream gap play out? According to Mattel, “Research shows that starting at age five, many girls begin to develop self-limiting beliefs and think they’re not as smart and capable as boys. They stop believing their gender can do anything. This issue is called the Dream Gap, and to help close it, Barbie launched the Dream Gap Project in 2018—an ongoing global initiative that gives girls the resources and support they need to continue believing in themselves.”
While we might think it is hard to corner the market on self-confidence today, imagine what young girls are facing as they try to build theirs – especially if they’re not getting the support and encouragement needed from the people in their lives who should be their biggest cheerleaders.
Dr. Nancy recognized the biases young girls faced, and the opportunities and “fun” boys were given at an early age and just decided she didn’t want to be a girl. “I truly became the ultimate tomboy. I became proficient in kickball, baseball, and tried any sport that used a ball. I dug caves and spent time by the creek down the hill from my house. When I was not at the creek, I was on my black English Racer bike. I loved that black bike and rode it everywhere.”
“It would take me years to consider being a girl was acceptable. I don’t think I’m alone in that. I think girls and women have struggled with these feelings for years,” Dr. Nancy added. “We need to be aware of our biases and empower girls and boys equally. Remember we can’t be what we can’t see, hear, or read about.”
Also looking at the conscious and unconscious biases that limit young girls dreams, Shelley Zalis, Founder and CEO of The Female Quotient, recently shared a powerful post about the issue and the the campaign from Barbie/Mattel:
The Dream Gap is the space in between young girls’ wildly imaginative ambition and their full potential—hindered not because they’re incapable, but by the society they grow up in. Conscious and unconscious biases try to water down their dreams early on, but the Barbie Dream Gap Project is on a mission to close the gap by challenging gender stereotypes and helping undo the biases that hold girls back. And while they’re driving awareness with this campaign, I think we all know it’s going to take an even bigger collective effort. We have a responsibility to close this gap for the next generation of girls—to nurture their #confidence, reinforce their abilities, and lift them up as dreamers and doers!
Barbie established a fund through the Barbie Dream Gap Project with $250,000 in March 2019 to help close the Dream Gap. Since then, Barbie has funded $250,000 every year, which has been granted to charities working directly with girls and enabling them to reach their goals.
If we help girls see it, they can be it, especially if we become aware of biases and remove the blocks they put in the way. It’s up to each of us to make sure girls have equal opportunities to reach their full potential, and we need to do it now. If we lead by example and cheer our girls on as they take their first steps, they will soon see their gender not as an obstacle, but as a wonderful opportunity.