The #LikeAGirl Campaign is More Important than You Think it Is

So the Super Bowl was exactly one week ago, which means I may be late to the party, but I still felt like Alway's "Run Like a Girl" ad was worth mentioning. Growing up, "Like a girl" was always something I heard with a negative connotation, but it never really put me down, I just accepted it. I was a girl and therefore I ran slower, I couldn't throw, I wasn't as smart. Looking back, I know that it isn't the phrase that is harmful, but the perpetuated stereotypes that I was fed growing up. A couple of my friends and I were going over this topic last week and many recalled vivid memories of their parents putting an overbearing emphasis on being feminine when they were younger.

What makes this ad so important isn't just the empowering message it gives to young girls. As the advertisement already shows, the girls featured in this video are virtually unaware of the gender bias ringing in the statement "like a girl." The key to this video's success is it's true audience: adults, current or future parents and members of society who actively reinforce these stereotypes. Sure, it's inspiring to girls, but it also challenges members of society to re-think the phrase "like a girl" and to rethink these stereotypes in general. If it's simple for a group of kids, then it should be simple for us too, right?

Kudos to the #LikeAGirl campaign that is moving in so many ways!