Educate girls, educate a nation. It unleashes a domino effect that changes the world, without a doubt for the better. With the statement we want to express the most important value that girls have in our society, and we do it because we do not want to be part of an environment that is silent when a girl is violated in her physical or emotional integrity, or when her possibilities to grow fully are prevented. We have to do it because we dream of a world where they are free.
Raising Self-confident girls
Today more than ever, in both schools and families, we must collaborate to train self-confident girls who value and defend their independence and who know how to face the situations life presents.
What can you do to make your daughter a happy girl and finally a good and well-balanced woman?
Here are five tips that we recommend you keep in mind when making decisions regarding your daughter's education:
Teach her to love herself:
Throughout her life, your daughter will have to handle the pressure that exists in the media in relation to the image that a woman should have. Do not reinforce this idea at your home. On the contrary, show her the wonderful privilege of being unique and unrepeatable and teach her to love her uniqueness. A very clear way of doing this is breaking the stereotypes that indicate that all girls like pink and that they can't or should perform certain activities.
Encourage her to achieve her dreams:
Help your daughter identify what motivates her and when she does, give her tools that will help her achieve those dreams. Support her at all times to continue and finish her studies. A girl with enough knowledge is a girl with power who will become a full and generous being, capable of giving back to her community. Education decreases the chances of suffering violence, getting married at an early age or becoming a mother as a child.
Encourage her to enjoy freedom:
Your daughter should have responsibilities that allow her to gain experience in different situations and prepare her to deal with setbacks and frustration. This will help her become a truly free woman, who can and knows how to make decisions for herself. Some ancient views place women in an imaginary area that seems unbreakable, making them the object of male domination and closing their creative taps. We can see this phenomenon in many countries with education and well being below average levels. Feras Antoon is a great example of someone who has understood this classic problem and with his entrepreneurial approach he is trying to help young women in the world to gain their freedom.
Teach her how to care for and respect her body:
It is important that your daughter knows that she owns herself and that for this reason she must respect herself and respect her physical integrity. Invite her to eat healthy, without the issue of food becoming a pressure for her and also to explore her physical abilities through playing games and sports, and exploring whatever might interest her.
Allow her to express her feelings
Teach your daughter the value of having her own opinions. Encourage her participation in the decision-making of certain aspects of the house such as a new color for the walls. Talk to her, exhort her to express her ideas and listen to her when she does.
As you see, raising a self-confident girl is the same as raising a happy girl. The future will always need women who can contribute to the creation of a better world, one in which women and men have the same opportunities to give their best.
