Societal pressures
A recurring theme throughout the Tour pointed to the societal pressures young women face and the messages they receive about what it means to be a young woman in our culture today. In every Tour city, mothers expressed fears of the impact that gender stereotypes, especially in the media, may have on young women’s self esteem, body image and personal development. A Girl Scouts Research Institute Survey of more than 2,000 girls found that girls’ own definitions of being healthy are more related to feeling accepted by their peers than with eating well and exercising regularly. For many, fitting in is directly related to body size, with one in four girls saying they were dissatisfied with their weight. An interesting finding of that survey is that most girls are also strongly influenced by their mother’s words and actions, viewing their mothers as role models and turning to them for information on how to live well.
Next Generation Leadership is Imperative
The Women’s Foundation of California believes that supporting and developing the leadership skills of progressive activists and organizations is key to building a progressive movement in California. By investing in individual, organizational and community development, we strengthen both organizations and the emerging leaders that organize and lead campaigns, provide services to create systemic change in their communities and advocate for policy to build communities that thrive. We understand that organizations become more effective when they are given financial and technical support to strengthen their infrastructure.
The Women’s Foundation of California is therefore committed to developing the leadership, advocacy and movement-building skills of social justice activists and leaders, particularly young and emerging leaders. This strategy ensures that girls have the opportunity to become key players in building social movements that focus on addressing the needs and creating opportunities for low-income women and girls and women and girls of color.
Read more from the Women's Foundation 7-Part series on The Road to Equity
Part 4: Women's Healthcare
Part 5: Equal Pay for Equal Work
