Often I find myself being apprehensive to share my passions and beliefs with certain groups of people due to fears of not belonging and awkwardness. Or simply fears of 8th grade boys, which personally I think is quite valid. But, it is in these moments when I am reminded that:

Sometimes the people who are hardest to share your passions with are the ones that need to hear it the most.

Our society today is a result of our predecessors challenging different groups with new ways of thinking. Critics are who have built this technological age, not those who kept to themselves. Boldness is necessary for progress, and apprehensiveness is necessary for stagnation. If I had let fear stop me from speaking wholeheartedly to these 67 loving kids, they might never have gained a new perspective.

Empowering women all have at least one thing in common: boldness. They own their passions and embody their true selves, which encourages and inspires others. Today, and in the days to come, I implore y’all to walk with pride and be bold, as did the people who came before us. And who knows, maybe those listening will take away what you are saying, even if they are in a different stage of life.

The post Showing Boldness, No Matter the Circumstance appeared first on GirlSpring.

When isolated, these historical facts may seem trivial or even funny, but when paired with the hundreds of other examples of gendered expectations and stereotypes changing, it becomes clear that—contrary to common belief—there is no such thing as a hobby or skillset that one gender is inherently better at. In reality, the things that are considered either masculine or feminine are viewed the way they are because of socio-political misogyny. By analyzing the current treatment of “feminine” stereotypes, the degradation of “feminine skills,” and society’s overall disdain for any hobby or skillset an individual woman has, it is clear that skills are only considered valuable based on their dissociation from women.

The Irony of Feminine Interests

In and of themselves, stereotypical feminine interests—makeup, pumpkin spice lattes, the Pride and Prejudice movie—are generally accepted by and as mainstream culture. However, once a woman actually likes any of the above, both the interest and the woman are ridiculed. This scrutiny can be seen every time a male comedian makes a career off mocking women for fitting these stereotypes, or in every eye-roll a girl receives when mentioning an interest in these subjects. Iliza Shlesinger [3] pointed out the irony of men who rampaged through India and Southeast Asia for a taste of cinnamon mocking women for their occasional Instagram post featuring a pumpkin spice latte. This irony can be found every time a man is praised for keeping up his appearance and is called “well-groomed”; meanwhile, if a woman is caught putting effort into maintaining the flawless appearance expected of her, then she is vain.

While not as ironic, another double standard appears when men revere The Godfather and the film is immediately regarded as a cinematic masterpiece, but when women praise Pride and Prejudice, it is dismissed as a stupid “chick flick.” Society expects women to have feminine interests, but once they actually do, they are shamed. There is no inherent issue with effeminate things; they only become a problem when they are embraced by women.

The Reality of Feminine Skills

On the flip side, women are both allowed and expected to have what have been deemed feminine skills. Cooking, a sense of style, teaching—but these skills are considered fundamentally less skilled and important by society. This perception changes, however, when a man shows interest in these fields. For instance, the burden of cooking falls disproportionately on women because it is considered a natural feminine skill, yet men make up 94% of Michelin-star chefs [4]. Although fashion and physical appearance are considered natural feminine interests, men hold 86% of leadership positions within major fashion companies [5]. Even though teaching is considered a feminine job, men constitute 56% of college professors [6].

These dissonant facts prove that once separated from women, these skills become redeemed in society’s eyes and become high-paying and well-respected industries. The worth of these skills is not determined by their actual complexities or their impact, but rather by who is performing them.

The Trap of Femininity vs. Masculinity

Even though women will not get recognition through feminine interests or skills, they will receive an equal amount of mockery when engaging with ​“masculine” interests and skills. If a woman likes to play video games, she will be accused of doing so for male attention. And she may even be harassed out of the gaming community [7]. A woman who plays sports will not simply be called an athlete, but rather, “too aggressive” and “unladylike” [8]. A woman who engages with high fantasy literature or comic books will be dismissed with the assumption that her interest is based on attraction to a male character. And likewise, she may be harassed out of a fandom [9].

On the other hand, men’s interests are always presumed to stem from a place of genuine passion and talent. By embracing femininity, women are subjected to mockery. By embracing masculinity, women are ostracized; either way, this is a system in which women are designed to lose. Society created femininity and then ridiculed it and the women who participate in it. But  society betrays women who do not participate in it. This begs the question of whether it is femininity that society dislikes or if it is just women.

How to Win

When passions and talent are judged not by merit but by the subject, the real reward is not working for the praise you will never receive but allowing yourself authenticity. In a system that will judge a woman whether they conform to the system or rebel against it, then the only solution is to ignore the inevitable judgment of others and make yourself who you want to be. A world that will not validate you is not a world that should be allowed to control you.

Works Cited

Janik, Erika. “The Masculine Origins of Cheerleading.” WPR, 7 Sept. 2016, www.wpr.org/history/masculine-origins-cheerleading.

Little, Becky. “When Computer Coding Was a “Woman’s” Job | HISTORY.” HISTORY, Sept. 2017, www.history.com/articles/coding-used-to-be-a-womans-job-so-it-was-paid-less-and-undervalued. 

Wikipedia Contributors. “Iliza Shlesinger.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 12 Feb. 2026, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iliza_Shlesinger. 

Staff, Chef’s Pencil. “Share of Female-Led Michelin Restaurants Is Only 6%.” Chef’s Pencil, 20 July 2022, www.chefspencil.com/female-chefs-6-percent-reach-the-top/. 

Guest Contributor. “Women Are Finally Leading Global Brands. So Why Is Fashion Still Failing Them?” FashionUnited, 2025, fashionunited.ca/news/people/women-are-finally-leading-global-brands-so-why-is-fashion-still-failing-them/2025100742019.  

KLACZYNSKA, MIRIAM. “Gender Demographic Disparities between Teachers and Professors.” Berkeley.edu, 27 Apr. 2024, econreview.studentorg.berkeley.edu/gender-demographic-disparities-between-teachers-and-professors/. 

Fishman, Andrew. “Women in Gaming: A Difficult Intersection.” Psychology Today, 2022, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/video-game-health/202201/women-in-gaming-a-difficult-intersection 

Women’s Sports Foundation. “Do You Know the Factors Influencing Girls’ Participation in Sports? – Women’s Sports Foundation.” Women’s Sports Foundation, Women’s Sports Foundation, 2024, www.womenssportsfoundation.org/do-you-know-the-factors-influencing-girls-participation-in-sports/ 

Juliet Kahn. “Why Women in Comics Don’t “Just Report” Sexual Harassment.” Comics Alliance, 23 Sept. 2014, web.archive.org/web/20141210174642/comicsalliance.com/sexual-harassment-women-comics-games-fear-way-of-life/?trackback=tsmclip

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1. Host a Sleepover/Party:

You can never go wrong with having a sleepover or party. You could even mix them and have a party, and then people can spend the night. The party could include games, you could make dinner or order pizza, do nails. There are so many fun options of what to do, whether it’s activities or whether it’s food on Pinterest. Of course a movie is always a great idea too. You could watch a cheesy rom-com to celebrate the day. Some great classics include “10 Things I hate about you”, and “13 Going on 30”.  

2. Charcuterie Board Night:

If you haven’t seen this trend on TikTok, you should look it up. It is such a unique spin on having people bring their own food for a get together or a party! Everyone can bring their own charcuterie board with different foods on it. This can be anything from a chicken nugget board, candy board, to a pizza board. And the great thing about it is, you can put as little or as much effort into it as you want.

3. Make a “Date” Night:

This might work better if it is just you and one friend, however you could really do this with as many people as you want, it just might get a bit tricky. But basically the idea is that you plan a date night and ask the other person (or people) on a date with you. It is a fun way to make someone feel special on Valentine’s Day, and you can go as simple or full out with this as you want to. You could have a picnic, go out to a fancy restaurant, go get dessert, etc.. Whatever is something that you and the other person will enjoy. It doesn’t even have to be surrounded by food; this can be a movie night or something like bowling even.

4. Tea Party:

This might sound abnormal and weird even, but this could be something nice and different than what you would normally do with your friends. You could set a theme such as Alice in Wonderland, all dress up, and make food surrounding the theme. This also provides a great opportunity for pictures, which is always a nice bonus. And the good thing about this option is you can do this wherever, and you can find lots of inspiration on Pinterest for hosting a tea party.

5. Plan a Photoshoot:

Who doesn’t love an excuse to get dressed up and take pictures with your besties? Put on some cute outfits, try a new hairstyle, do a sparkly makeup look. There are endless ideas for backdrops, poses, outfits, etc. online. Pick some that you like and have a fun time. You could put on some music and get some props, and just make it into a whole event. Bonus points if you also make some TikToks!

For more ways to celebrate Galentine’s Day, click here!

And check out this fun Girl Spring Quiz: Plan a Galentine’s Day Celebration and We’ll Tell You What Type of Friend You Are!

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Not going alone

The first and easiest way to stay safe is not to go alone. Take this as an opportunity to hang out with someone in your life, whether it’s a friend, family member, or partner. It is important to make sure it’s someone you trust and someone who you know will have your back if things go wrong. The more the merrier, so maybe make it a group activity or something that you and whoever you bring do weekly. It’s easy to get caught up in life, as busy as it gets, and forget to check in with the people in your life, so include them in your night walks if you don’t have time during the day. Most things are better when you’re not alone, so don’t be when you walk.

Things to remember

It’s also understandable if that late-night walk is the only alone time you get, and it’s your way of winding down. If you decide to go it alone, then there are a few things you need to keep in mind. First, and most importantly, have a charged phone with you where you can quickly access it! If you are somewhere that is isolated and can’t scream for help, calling 911 is the perfect first step to getting help. Also, try your best not to get lost. It’s easier to contact help if they know exactly where you are. Make sure that you can relay your location to whoever you contact, whether that be the police or a loved one. If you are going to contact a loved one, make sure it’s someone you trust who is also close to your location, so they can get there faster.

Defending yourself

If it’s down to you defending yourself against an attacker, there are a few options to get yourself out. Firstly, wear shoes that are good for running, these are tennis shoes, not heels, ballet flats, or even some boots. Being able to outrun your attacker and get somewhere safe is a top priority. Second, self defense classes teach you how to keep yourself safe when you have nothing to defend yourself with. If you can’t afford classes, that’s OK! There are tutorials on YouTube that teach a few basic moves. Practice with a loved one and learning something, even if it’s small, is better than nothing.

Other ways to defend against an attacker is with items that you brought with you. Pepper spray is always the ideal option, aiming for the eyes. It blinds and incapacitates the attacker enough for you to get somewhere safe. Another option is taking your keys and making them into claws through your knuckles. This works well in a bind, but it can also hurt the inside of your hand and can be hard to aim. Alternatively, you can spike to hang on your key chain and use that as an individual weapon. Finally, there are alert whistles and alarms that can be added to a bag or key chain; use them to contact those around you for help. Even if no one comes over to help you, people  will either check on the odd sound or report it to the police. There will be a way out.

The right to a beautiful night

It is hard to live in a world where women feel unsafe to leave their homes, not just at night, because of the horror stories of fellow women. However, hope is never fully lost, and there are ways to feel and stay safe when being outside. We have every right to enjoy the night sky and all its beauty; we just need to stay safe when looking at it.

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Tips for Making New Years Matter

1. Examine your goals. How are they worded? Why are they your goals?

I often find that goals (even my own!) are superficial in nature. Things like “losing weight”, or “reading more books” are unspecific, and they often lack meaning. Ask yourself WHY you want to make a change. If you aren’t truly going to be fulfilled by making changes, the changes won’t happen. 

2. Make a Plan

One comment I get fairly often is that I’m “the most type A person” my friends have ever met, and I see that as my super power. Buy a cute planner and specifically devise a plan to accomplish your resolutions. Set “mini-goals” or checkpoints every few weeks, make a schedule, and WRITE! IT! DOWN! Neuroscientists have said that writing goals down makes them 42% more likely to happen, and that’s not a coincidence.

3. Use Accountability Partners

Discipline is hard to practice, and it’s even harder to build. Discipline can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be! Spend New Years Eve eating yummy food and hanging out with friends, and set goals while you do so. Make a plan, and rely on each other to stick to it! When I get texts from friends asking me if I’ve had my water amount or finished my book club book, I feel healthy pressure to complete it, and knowing those questions are coming motivates me to stick with my resolutions. Not to mention, everything is more fun with friends!

4. Adjust, Adjust, Adjust!

I am great at overestimating myself. I feel unstoppable with my surplus of free time over holiday break and have a tendency to be slightly unrealistic with my resolution setting. When school starts back sometimes I feel as though my goals are unattainable, and that has pushed me away from them in the past. Adjusting as you go -adding more or reducing your load- can be a powerful skill. Less is better than none, and quite frankly, if you feel like what you’re doing is too much, reduction can be healthier than pushing forward. Don’t be afraid to take a step back at times. Recognizing your needs is a strength, not a weakness.

Wishing 2026 brings you happiness, good health, and healthy habits!

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What an It Girl is

The Modern It Girl

Social Medias Influence

Where We Go From Here

Citations:

“It Girl.” Wikipedia, 31 May 2022, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_girl.

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This statement has become a common and unquestionable fact within our society, but does it hold any validity? Modern Homo sapiens have been on this planet for an estimated 315,000 years [1], and only began farming and building housing during the Neolithic Revolution in the Middle East’s Fertile Crescent around 12,000 years ago [2]. But what of those 303,000 years? What were we doing then? While this article will not delve into all aspects of those 303,000 years, it will examine the hunter-gatherer period of human history and the effect gender had on communal roles. By looking at the origin of the male-hunter/female-gatherer theory, modern research, biological factors, and common sense, it is easy to see how ridiculous our presumption of this history really is.

Man: The Hunter

To understand how society accepted this theory as fact, we have to look at where it started. The theory of men as hunters and women as gatherers is relatively new, emerging in the late 1960s. Much of the support for this idea came from the 1966 symposium Man the Hunter, organized by Richard Lee and Irven DeVore. What is particularly striking about this symposium is that it became one of the most influential theories of hunter-gatherer societies, despite being grounded primarily on assumptions rather than in statistical or genetic evidence. Moreover, it is essential to note that this piece’s main point wasn’t even about men being hunters and women being gatherers, but rather about how hunting and gathering created community for humans.

The assumption was that, because male biological tendencies make men stronger and faster, men did the hunting. This theory went virtually unchallenged for sixty years—whenever human remains were found with weapons, they were assumed to be male. Robert Kelly [3], a professor of anthropology at the University of Wyoming, stated to NPR [4], “No one,” Kelly said, “had done a systematic tally of what the observational reports said about women hunting.”

Modern Findings

Although feminists have questioned the notion of men doing all the hunting for decades, it wasn’t until 2020 that there was a solid attempt from the scientific community to test who did the hunting and who did the gathering. So, fifty-four years after the fact, Cara Wall-Scheffler, backed by the University of Washington and Seattle Pacific University, set out to test if hunting and gathering were based on sex.

Wall-Scheffler and her colleagues studied accounts of prehistoric hunting methods dating back to the 1800s and beyond. This led Wall-Scheffler to discover that, rather than the presumed sex-based system, prehistoric societies were much more relaxed about gendered roles, with 79% of societies having female hunters [5]. Furthermore, the study found that women didn’t just participate in opportunistic or small-game hunts. Wall-Scheffler reported to NPR that “the hunting was purposeful. Women had their own toolkit. They had favorite weapons. Grandmas were the best hunters of the village.”

Effects on Modern Society

So, how does a nearly sixty-year-old theory about our million-year past affect today? The idea that men were hunters feeds the argument that men are natural breadwinners and providers, justifying jobs and positions of power being given exclusively to men. It’s important to recognize that this theory was popularized during the second wave of feminism and by those who sought to push back against change. During this time, it wasn’t uncommon for people to believe that men had natural intellectual superiority over women, so when this theory justified men’s supposed physical prowess, it made them appear naturally better in nearly every category. By making women docile gatherers and reducing their natural role to being mothers, it internalizes the idea of the supposed inferiority of the female sex.

Be the Hunter

The fact of the matter is that women are not primarily created to be mothers to men or to serve a lifelong supportive role to them. We have been given the ability to be hunters, chiefs, and whatever else we want to be. Although this theory has been used to justify the subordination of the female sex, it is debunked daily. Be the hunter you were meant to be.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Side note: Below, I have pasted some links that go into more detail about this part of our history. I cannot recommend these articles enough: 

Prehistoric hunters weren’t all male. Women killed big game, new discovery suggests | CNN 

Men are hunters, women are gatherers. That was the assumption. A new study upends it. 

________________________________________________________________________

Citations

Rafferty, John P. “Just How Old Is Homo sapiens?” Encyclopaedia Britannica, Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2017, https://www.britannica.com/story/just-how-old-is-homo-sapiens.

HISTORY.com Editors. “Hunter-Gatherers.” History, A&E Television Networks, 5 Jan. 2018, updated 28 May 2025, https://www.history.com/articles/hunter-gatherers. HISTORY+1

Kelly, Robert L. “Robert Kelly — Emeriti Faculty.” Department of Anthropology, University of Wyoming, University of Wyoming,

https://www.uwyo.edu/anthropology/personnel/emeriti-faculty/er-kelly.html

Aizenman, Nurith. “Men Are Hunters, Women Are Gatherers. That Was the Assumption. A New Study Upends It.” NPR, 1 July 2023, https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2023/07/01/1184749528/men-are-hunters-women-are-gatherers-that-was-the-assumption-a-new-study-upends-i.

Anderson, Abigail, Sophia Chilczuk, Kaylie Nelson, Roxanne Ruther, and Cara Wall-Scheffler. “The Myth of Man the Hunter: Women’s Contribution to the Hunt across Ethnographic Contexts.” PLOS ONE, vol. 18, no. 6, 2023, e0287101. 

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0287101

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Art is a representation of people, power, and the times. Every significant moment in history is captured through photography, paint, or writing as a tribute to the greatness humankind has created. Art is not just self-expression. It is a collective expression- a language through which people protest, reclaim power, and rewrite narratives.

The Language of Resistance

The true beauty of art exists in its understanding. Only those looking for the meaning are bound to find it, while others see a pretty picture. Circumstances allow scarce things, but in restraints is where artists employ creativity.

Under dictatorships, artists hide rebellion in color. Under censorship, filmmakers bury protest in metaphor. Even in the modern world, where people cling to the idea of being better, artists still hide the struggles of racism, inequalities, class, and gender divides in what they create.

The Defiance of the Greats

Art often inspired irony as it usually criticized those who bought and sold these priceless pieces and hung them up like hunters’ game.

Pablo Picasso’s Guernica, painted in 1937, remains a visceral outcry against the brutality of war– a monochrome mural of anguish that spoke louder than any political address. Diego Rivera’s murals reclaimed art from the elite, embedding the labor and dignity of Mexico’s working class into public consciousness.

Digital Renaissance

Today’s world offers a new level of activism, transforming it into a visual and participatory experience. Campaigns like #MeToo, Fridays for Future, and Women, Life, Freedom have demonstrated how digital art, whether photography, animation, or hand-drawn, can ignite global movements in minutes.

Protest can now exist in pixels as much as paint, making it accessible and therefore more impactful. People are also able to spread awareness and raise motions from across the world that demand action and spark global awareness and education. The medium may have changed, but the message remains: art continues to democratize dissent.

Art: Our Witness and Weapon

Confrontation takes a forward role when it comes to truly creating change. Addressing the problem allows people to fight for justice from a knowledgeable standpoint. Every poem that mourns, every painting that accuses, every performance that questions —it showcases beauty in hopeless circumstances to motivate and inspire.

For marginalized communities, art is not merely resistance; it is self-definition. It is the act of existing, visibly and unapologetically, in societies that have often tried to erase or rewrite them. For example, Frida Kahlo’s self-portraits transform personal pain into public power, blurring the boundary between the body and the political. Similarly, Judy Chicago’s “The Dinner Party” reclaims female legacy through symbolism and craft.

Art allows empowerment not to be a textbook topic but a being, harder to ignore.

Depths

A song can unify where speeches divide; an image can move where statistics fail. By humanizing suffering and amplifying hope, art dissolves the distance between observer and subject. Art embodies emotion that turns facts into reality, theory into motion.

Artists like Banksy have mastered this form, combining irony with critique to expose systemic contradictions —capitalism, war, surveillance —all in stenciled anonymity. Similarly, movements such as Black Lives Matter (BLM) transformed urban streets into canvases of solidarity, turning slogans into collective identity.

People are forgetful creatures: words, statistics, speeches are all short-lived, while an image and the feelings it invokes can make a world of difference.

Expression → Revolution

From 1960s civil rights posters to 21st-century climate protest imagery, these creations endure not just as artifacts but as moral records. Those who are labeled radical or transient are now at the forefront of motion and change, in ways most of us only see on screens.

Art is not a decoration; it is a declaration.
Through protest, art gains urgency.
Through art, protest gains immortality.

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Misogyny in Popular Culture and Trends

Things like weightlifting, STEM, and rap music often get a bad rap for being misogynistic. While those stereotypes do hold some truth, it’s important to understand that almost all popular culture contains some degree of misogyny—and that some of the most influential forms are the subtle forms. Trends such as “I’m just a girl” [1] or “Girl Math” [2]  are wildly popular online among women and girls. They’re catchy, seemingly harmless, and often satirical. But they also raise the question: why is the butt of the joke usually women, and why is their supposed “stupidity” or “indecisiveness” the target? Why do women often perpetuate these jokes themselves? 

Beyond these seemingly harmless examples, some trends are far more insidious, such as the “Tradwife” trend [3] or the “I’m not a feminist because ___” [4] trend where thousands of women publicly denounce feminism and call for the regression of women’s social and political rights, all under the guise of a “trend” on social media.

Women Hating Women

So, it’s clear that women can and do internalize misogyny—but how does this affect the way women treat each other? Misogyny between women shows up in thousands of ways, but one of the clearest examples is the “I’m not like other girls” [5] trend. In this trend, girls go to great lengths to prove they’re different from, and therefore better than, other girls. They avoid popular music, reject stereotypically “girly” hobbies, and even alter their style to separate themselves from the rest physically. Of course, this behavior can swing both ways when cliquey girls exclude and ridicule other girls who don’t follow trends. Girls get bullied for being either too trendy or too alternative, and, most of the time, it’s other girls doing the bullying.

The “I’m not like other girls” trend is the most obvious example of women-on-women misogyny, but it’s far from the only one. Think about all the times female relatives have pushed younger girls to help out more than the boys. How often have girls put down their own gender in a conversation with a cute guy? How many of us have caught ourselves catering to or prioritizing our male friends and colleagues over our female ones? There aren’t enough words in this article to capture all the ways women discriminate against other women. Still, I encourage every girl reading this to pause for a moment and reflect on your genuine thoughts and actions toward other women. You might be surprised by what you find.

Women Hating Themselves

One of the biggest tragedies of our society’s sexism is how girls are taught to fundamentally, and subconsciously, view themselves as less than. How many women haven’t pursued their passions because they believed they couldn’t, simply because they were women? How many have denied themselves the very human emotions of rage or angst? How many women have gone their whole lives believing it to be a fault to be a woman in a world of men? These limitations act as chains that have dragged (and continue to drag) every woman down due to the key pillar of our society– misogyny. Women hate women, others, and themselves [6]. I truly believe every girl, if she thought about it, could recall a moment when she deemed herself unworthy or incapable of doing something she was fully capable of doing. In fact, I think she could remember many moments.

The Feminism of Recognized Misogyny

In conclusion, the notion that women cannot be misogynistic is not only ignorant but dangerous. It undermines the real oppression and violence that women can, and do, inflict on each other and themselves. Because misogyny has been ingrained in us since before we could even think, it’s crucial to recognize how it lives within us and to take active steps to unlearn it. I write this knowing that I am misogynistic—but I do not want to be. Unlearning it will take a lifetime, but I owe it to myself and to every woman alive.

Education is key. Don’t support the system that is keeping you down. Don’t hate other women or yourself for simply existing in this world. Support others, love yourself, and remember: it’s very feminist to admit your own misogyny.

Citations

“Unmasking the Trend: the Hidden Harm of ‘I’m Just a Girl.’” The Teen Magazine, 30 May 2024, www.theteenmagazine.com/unmasking-the-trend-the-hidden-harm-of-i-m-just-a-girl.

Teo, Kai Xiang. “‘Girl Math’ Is Going Viral on TikTok — But It Has a Cost.” Business Insider, 13 Aug. 2023, www.businessinsider.com/girl-math-personal-finance-trend-goes-viral-tiktok-2023-8.

Travers, Mark. “A Psychologist Explains the Dangers of the ‘Tradwife’ Movement.” Forbes, 6 Jan. 2024, www.forbes.com/sites/traversmark/2024/01/06/a-psychologist-explains-the-dangers-of-the-tradwife-movement.

Whitmore, Claire. “’I’m Not a Feminist, I Can Actually Cook’: Conceptual Feminism Explained.” Medium, medium.com/@ClaireWhitmore/why-we-need-to-stop-saying-im-not-like-other-girls-095ce0d9ccd7.

Whitmore, Claire. “Why We Need to Stop Saying ‘I’m Not Like Other Girls’.” Medium, medium.com/@ClaireWhitmore/why-we-need-to-stop-saying-im-not-like-other-girls-095ce0d9ccd7.

Soddu, Isabella. “Internalized Misogyny Is Limiting Self-Expression and Confidence in Women.” The Vermont Cynic, 29 Nov. 2022, vtcynic.com/opinion/internalized-misogyny-is-limiting-self-expression-and-confidence-in-women/.

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Babe Didrikson Zaharias set three world records in the 1932 Olympics when she threw a javelin 43.69 meters, ran the 80-meter hurdle in 11.9 seconds, and completed a 1.657-meter high jump. Also, apparently, she could type eighty-six words a minute [1]. Katie Ledecky held the 400-meter freestyle world record and currently holds the 800-meter and 1500-meter freestyle world records [2]. Alexandra Trusova is the first female skater recorded to land a quad flip, a quad lutz, a quadruple jump in a combination quad toe loop, land two and then three ratified quads in a free skate, and complete five quads in a single free skate [3]. Among many others, these women are truly wonders to watch at their craft.

However, a widespread belief is that women are bad at sports. Why is that? Does it hold any validity? When considering women’s sports, it’s essential to examine how girls’ physical health at the earliest ages is addressed, the media coverage of women’s athletics, and society’s broader attitudes towards female athletes.  

Women’s Athletics at the Grass-Root Level

What many people fail to realize about women’s sports is that girls are disadvantaged before they even reach kindergarten. Male infants and toddlers are encouraged to be more active and allowed to fall and roughhouse more than female infants and toddlers. The UK Parliament [4] notes that, by the time they reach kindergarten, “there is a real gap in fundamental skills between boys and girls.” Baz Moffat [5] observed that in parks, “Boys are doing rough and tumble and playing around. They are learning how to move their bodies, but girls are just not moving as much.”

These challenges only grow as female athletes reach their juvenile and teen years. According to the Women’s Sports Foundation [6], “As girls grow up, the quality level of their sports experience may decline. The facilities are not as good as the boys’ venues, and the playing times may not be optimal. The availability of quality, trained coaches may be limited in their community, or these coaches may be more focused on boys’ programs that have more funding for training. Equipment, and even uniforms, aren’t funded for many girls’ programs at the same 0levels as boys, so their ability to grow and enjoy the sport is diminished.”

It’s no surprise, then, that by age 14, girls drop out of sports at twice the rate of boys. All of this happens before these girls even reach college, so by adulthood, only 20% of women participate in sports compared to 47% of men [7]. This begs the question: do girls drop out of sports because of their “crazy hormones” and supposed physical inability to play, or because the world has told them in every way that they are not cut out for it?

Media and General Perception

Even when women are one of the best at their sport, nobody cares—because nobody knows. The media coverage gap between men’s and women’s athletics has been debated endlessly, and yes, women’s sports do generate less attention. But why is that? Many sport-bros argue that women are simply less entertaining to watch because they tend to be neither as strong nor as fast.

In that case, Stephen Curry is not the tallest, Tom Brady is not the most athletic, and Lionel Messi is far from the fastest. Yet all of these men are world-renowned. Additionally, if it were purely about physical feats, why do people watch college sports, vintage matches, or their local teams? If it were just about raw physical ability, the only sports people would watch would be track and weightlifting—yet those are among the least watched.

People watch sports for the stories, rivalries, emotion, and skill. They watch because of the drama, not the data. People don’t ignore women’s sports because they’re “less interesting”—they ignore them because they either don’t know about them or they subscribe to the misogynistic idea that women don’t belong in sports and can’t stand seeing a woman thrive in what they wanted to be.

Moving Forward

Whether it’s not having access to sports, not being encouraged, not wanting to be perceived as masculine, not being recognized for their talent, or not having faith in themselves, many incredible athletes aren’t on the field right now. How many Cristiano Ronaldos are unable to access proper fields? How many LeBron Jameses are being overlooked—all because they’re female?

There have been, and are, many sensational athletes who happen to be women, yet they remain unrecognized—either due to lack of exposure or outright misogyny. Times are changing, though. Now, more than ever, people are tuning in. Just last year, the women’s NCAA tournament outperformed the men’s by around 4 million viewers [8].

If you are a girl or woman reading this and you have an interest in any sport or physical activity—pursue it. You don’t have to reach the professional level. Do it for yourself, and for all the women who have been held back. Push your body, perfect your craft. In the end, the only person you should be training against is yourself.

Citations

“ Mildred ‘Babe’ Didrikson Zaharias.” National Women’s History Museum, womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/mildred-zaharias. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025. National Women’s History Museum

“Katie Ledecky | Biography, Olympic Medals, Records, & Facts.” Encyclopaedia Britannica, 30 Sept. 2025, britannica.com/biography/Katie-Ledecky. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025. Encyclopedia Britannica

“Alexandra Trusova.” Wikipedia, 23 June 2004 (birth date), en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandra_Trusova. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025. Wikipedia

“Health barriers for girls and women in sport.” House of Commons Women & Equalities Committee, 5 Mar. 2024, publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5804/cmselect/cmwomeq/130/report.html. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025. UK Parliament+1

Moffat, Baz. “About – The Well HQ.” The Well HQ, thewell-hq.com/about/baz-moffat/. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025. The Well+1

Staurowsky, E. J., et al. Chasing Equity: The Triumphs, Challenges, and Opportunities in Sports for Girls and Women. Women’s Sports Foundation, Jan. 2020. Women’s Sports Foundation

Herbert, Tim. “Only 1 in 5 women play grassroots sport, survey finds.” Women’s Sport Daily, 25 Aug. 2022, womensportdaily.co.uk/article/2022/08/06/only-1-5-women-play-grassroots-sport-survey-finds. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025. Women’s Sport Daily

Romo, Vanessa. “Women’s NCAA Championship TV Ratings Crush the Men’s Competition.” NPR, 10 Apr. 2024, www.npr.org/2024/04/10/1237894567/womens-ncaa-championship-tv-ratings-crush-the-mens-competition. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.

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