Talking Women’s Movement with my Teen Daughter
Because it’s necessary.
My daughter had so many questions. When hundreds of thousands of women (and some men) took to the streets to march in opposition of the U.S. presidential election last year, she wanted to know why. She saw images on her IG feed and some of her friends had spoken about it at school. She was 14 at the time, halfway through ninth grade, living in Toronto, and this conversation had entered her life.
It shouldn’t be a surprise anymore that a presidential election in the U.S has an impact, beyond functional politics, on the life of a teenage girl and her father living in Canada. No one should raise an eyebrow that images of the women’s march made it to her IG screen. My daughter is a young woman. And if the rights of women anywhere in the world are being threatened, then she should know about it.
Why Should She Care?
Fast forward to today and a lot more has happened. The #MeToo movement has gained international recognition. More and more women are being empowered to speak up about injustices, abuse and oppression in their lives. It feels like a monumental moment in history.
My daughter is even more curious now. She’s a year older, and I can tell by our conversations that this holds weight in her life. I do my best to explain why these movements are happening and why she should care. I told her women feel like their rights are threatened. They feel it at their jobs, they feel that threat through the politics of their country, and, in the worst cases, they feel it at home.
I tell her, unfortunately, that she will experience these same feelings. She tells me that, in some ways, she already has. She understands double standards. High school has made sure of that. She talks about the behaviour of boys in her class and what they’re allowed to get away with compared to the girls. She instinctively knows it’s not fair.
I tell her that’s exactly why she should care — because it’s not fair to anyone. And how a young girl is unfairly socialized in a tenth grade class in Toronto is part of the reason why these women are marching. They want boys and girls, men and women, to be treated equally as human beings, and for that to happen, it’s going to take a lot of noise.
I tell my daughter she needs to care about all girls. Blood can’t be the only thing that makes us sisters and brothers. We are a family, a global community that needs to do everything we can to help uplift and empower those who can’t do it themselves or who aren’t aware there are better options.
You Have a Voice!
These women are marching for you, is my message to my daughter. They’re marching for the girls in your classroom, the teachers in your school and for every girl who was ever made to feel like she is less than amazing.
I make sure she knows that this doesn’t just go one way. You have a voice, too, I say. It must be a strong voice to help however you can. We actually spoke about this. We brainstormed how she can use her interests to make a difference. We’ve gotten to the point where she knows she wants to help young, black girls close to her age. We haven’t quite figured out how just yet, but we’re working on it.
The main point I stress to my daughter about this entire movement is that she is a part of it. It’s her choice whether she actively participates, but whatever decision she makes is a decision. I’m not sure she fully gets that part yet, but she will.
Inspiration helps, and a story I read recently comes to mind. I read about Angie, a former Christian Children’s Fund of Canada sponsored child and youth leader in Paraguay who visited Canada last fall to speak up for child rights at a World Health Organization event in Ottawa. It wasn’t the #MeToo message, but it shows how even teenagers can make a difference. Check it out.
We all need to join as a global community to campaign for the rights of women, children, youth and vulnerable people around the world.
I’m looking forward to continuing the conversation with my daughter as I raise her to become a strong, confident woman.
CRY
