Girls Only Programming – More Important Than Ever

Years ago I held many Teen Getaway Weekends for girls and their female adult allies.  We used expressive arts, creative activities, and meaningful dialogue to create a space in which girls and women could safely explore their self-image, their fears, and their sense of who they were.

Low self esteem, poor body image, objectification, stress, unrealistic expectations, bullying, anxiety, and relationships (with ourselves and others)…all of these topics that deeply affect us surfaced in the course of our time together.  I watched girls and women move through fear and anxiety about what the weekend might bring, into self-confidence and celebration of who they were and the awareness of their full potential.

As girls enter adolescence, from ages 9 to 13, their confidence declines sharply and they experience higher rates of depression.  In Grade Six, 36% of girls say they are self-confident, but by Grade Ten, this has plummeted to only 14%.[1]  Some researchers conclude that more than 50% of all girls wish they were someone else.  7 in 10 girls believe that they are not good enough or don’t measure up in some way, including their looks, performance in school and relationships with friends and family members.[2]

When girls start school, it’s true they are more likely than boys to do well in reading, writing, and forming friendships.[3] Yet for many girls, this advantage is dampened by a growing lack of confidence and confusion about ‘who they are supposed to be’.

During the Teen Getaway Weekends, and in other workshops over the years, I observed that the older women, valued role models and mentors to their younger counterparts, responded in equally meaningful ways to the work we did.  It seemed that no matter our age, we all needed the opportunity to share in positive activities and trusting dialogue with other girls and women to help us look at ourselves with open, self-caring eyes.

Recently, almost fifteen years later, I met a woman who had been one of the participants in the early workshops.  She had come to a getaway weekend with her thirteen year old little sister, and she had a story to tell me.  “That weekend changed our lives”, she said.  “I have never forgotten it. Rhonda (name changed) learned so much.  She felt empowered for the first time in her life. I saw her self-esteem grow and her confidence blossom as she began to look at herself differently.”

I wasn’t surprised.  The same issues that existed then have continued to be the experience of girls and young women today, and often with increasing intensity.  Today, ‘mean girls’, relentless bullying, and powerful media messages can be piled on top of all the normal pressures of growing up.

However, the same solutions exist.  Research shows that, with the right help, girls can successfully navigate adolescence and avoid the negative patterns of self-objectification, low self-esteem, negative body image, anxiety, depression, and passivity.[4]

When girls build confidence, feel that they matter and that they belong, engage in meaningful dialogue, explore and share their experiences with each other, and learn critical thinking and decision-making skills, they begin to learn how to interpret, challenge, and ultimately change their experience in the world.

By creating opportunities for girls to explore these issues in a girls-only environment where girls feel free to share, express their concerns, and explore new ideas without worrying about what they look like or what boys think, we can help make a lifelong difference in their lives.

That’s why Three Things is offering “Girls 3.0 – Kickin’ It in 2014” this March Break; an experiential workshop just for girls. Visit Eventbrite to register or download and share our flyer. Girls 3.0 Flyer

In an environment of friendship, fun and trust, they’ll learn about their self-perceptions and how to live their lives from a deep sense of self-worth.  Contact us if you’d like to share your experiences or thoughts about your experience of being a woman in 2014. We’d love to hear from you!

Dale Pearson

PS: If you are interested in this interactive and engaging two day event for your community or organization – contact us and we can make it happen!