Girls aren't meant to be raised to be perfect, but must be raised to become brave. This was highlighted in a recent TED Talk from a leader of an organization for girls.
Parents said that Reshma Saujani, founder of Girls Who Code, is now raising the bar for young girls out there who are treated stereotypically, driving many parents to raise them to be perfect. According to Saujani, girls must be taught to take risks and also to be imperfect. It isn't only the boys who should develop that sense of bravery during childhood, but girls should also be taught the same.
During the TED conference, Saujani recounted her own struggles against the misconception that girls are nowhere near boys when it comes to taking risks. She shared her experience of running for Congress in 2010, which for her was the bravest thing she had done.
In a TED transcript, Saujani said that many girls are taught to avoid failure, while boys can freely jump off headfirst when they want to. This ultimately creates a huge negative impact on how women live as professionals later in life.
She explained further that the risk-taker attitude developed in boys at a young age carries them far. As adults, they have the guts to take the risk at the negotiating table, asking for a raise from employers, and even when trying to ask someone out on a date. This risk-taker attitude essentially carries them far.
For Saujani, there is a bravery deficit that slowly eats society. She said, "The bravery deficit is why women are underrepresented in STEM, in C-suites, in boardrooms, in Congress, and pretty much everywhere you look."
To level the playing field, Saujani started Girls Who Code in 2012. According to her, coding is a trial and error process where failure is all a part of. The difference is that, by allowing girls to take risks with their codes, they get to be brave and feel that sense of fulfillment the moment their programs come to life.
Saujani has initiated a good move in Girls Who Code, which can hopefully change society's outlook when it comes to raising girls. So, do you think girls should be taught how to be brave instead of being perfect? Is Reshma Saujani correct in her assessment? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.
