new feminist role models

[fordy85]

I want my 8 year old to be looking up to inspiring women and young women. But I'm finding it difficult to point to someone who feels 'real' and could be a genuine role model for her.

Any ideas? Would love people's thoughts on who they think are the best role models for girls today.

Taylor Swift seems to be quite good at fighting against the way women are pitted against each other in the industry.

Or Charlotte Church?

Or the woman who was in Harry Potter?

I agree, Taylor Swift seems to be more about the camaraderie and has a strength I admire for someone so young. She seems to be quite smart career wise as well. Good call!

I think you mean Emma Watson - thought she did some great work with the 'this is what a feminist looks like' and she's obviously a very clever girl. But sometimes I find her quite young to be talking about such BIG issues. Does she really understand the plight of women? Being a mother? Having a job? etc.

Any other thoughts?

Emma Watson is a grown woman, OP, not a girl. Your second post comes across as extremely patronising.

I also don't understand your point that Emma Watson is too young to be grappling with 'big' issues. Surely it's excellent that a young woman is able to recognise the challenges that other women face, even if she is too young to have necessarily experienced the herself. We shouldn't be adjudicating on who may feel strongly about which feminist issues.

There was a thread some weeks ago about why Taylor Swift is not a good role model for young girls.

Thanks PolaxedDancer. And your absolutely right! I didn't realise my tone was so patronising. Sorry about that. You make a good point that age and experience are not prerequisites for having an opinion on feminist issue.

Apart from Emma Watson are there any other role models that people find interesting / useful?

Also, it would be good to hear thoughts on what makes a good role model?

I think a good role model is a woman who doesn't feel that she has to conform to some ideal beauty standards; who is successful in her own right not having had a leg up from dad, husband, brother; who speaks out about women's rights without caring what people think of her; who has achieved something.

TBH, I look to the past for inspirational women;
Marie Stopes
Maria Curie
Rosa Parkes
Emilia Erhardt (sp.)

Or I look closer to home for women I know who inspire me.

I will have to seek that Taylor swift thread out as I am intrigued about why she would not be a good role model.

Have you looked at www.amightygirl.com ?

I went to see TS in concert. With my 9 yo niece. Loved her energy, business sense. Most professional gig I've ever seen.

However, the two support acts were men with guitars, most of the dancers were male, the guests were male and a lot of the tour staff. I did wonder if that was conscious, subconscious and whether it was an issue. She talks a lot about her friends and her group, but in practice, all the people around her were male.

My 10 y.o. DD was telling me about Emma Watson and how she admires her only a few days ago. She also wants to go and watch Sufragettes and said what a pity UKIP used purple in their rosettes.

Did anyone see the movie Enchanted back in 2007? One of the absolute worst, most regressive movies for young girls of recent times. It's about a Disney princess who finds herself in modern New York city, and 'rescues' a divorce lawyer and his young daughter. There is actually a scene where the daughter eye-rolls at the idea that books are interesting or that Marie Curie is a role model for young girls, I KID YOU NOT! It is jaw-droppingly shit.

What about Malala Yousafzai and Fahma Mohammed integratebristol.org.uk/2014/02/22/fahma-appeals-to-michael-gove-junior-trustee-of-integrate-bristol-launches-massive-campaign-with-the-guardian-and-change-org/

I would be keen to stress to my DDs that their role models should not all be skinny, white, pop star actress types.

It's often their mother. One of my daughters (now a lawyer in her 20s) is a fan of the Times feminist Caitlin Moran and also the Lean In book lady Cheryl Sandberg.

I would hope given my public profile my children might see me as a good feminist role model actually. I certainly have five feminist children who spread the word.

Sorry, posted too soon. I think what I personally admire about these two young women is that believed in something so much that they stuck their heads above the parapet to shout about it. That takes a lot of ( I want to say balls but that's not really appropriate!) and at such a young age, it takes even bigger balls! Unlike the Taylor's and Emma's of the world who already court the worlds attention through other means, these women are true role models for young girls IMO.

I think it is a good idea to point out that any role model will be flawed and that we all make mistakes and have blind spots. That is why looking at historical figures who were not under todays media spotlight is easier. I think Taylor Swift does very well. Nobody is perfect.

I would chose Maya Angelou, Mary Beard and Alice Roberts. Largely because I love poetry, history and science.

I was going to say that Malala Yousaf is a very obvious one.

Is Mhairi Black older than you were thinking of? She seems a pretty inspiring woman and (relatively) young.

Although I quite like Taylor Swift, her so called feud with Katy Perry maybe doesn't totally make her a good role model.

Katy Perry allegedly steals Taylor's dancers from a tour. Taylor makes a video, Bad Blood, as a hit back to Katy, with all the current 'cool' females in music, film, modelling etc.

Just all seems a bit playground and Mean Girls to me. Although I do admire Taylor's work ethic.

The Williams sisters
Jessica Ennis hill
The England football team (womens)
Jo pavey

I think girls need strong athletic role models because they are more likely to give up exercise in secondary school. I quite like the this girl can campaign.

Celeb wise, Emma Watson, Jennifer Lawrence

I think the actress Maisie Williams could be quite a good one. She's only 18 but self identifies as a feminist and has spoken about the lack of well written female characters in acting roles. She's been involved in the #LikeAGirl Campaign which is about helping girls through puberty gain confidence. She did criticise Emma Watson's speech for being about "first world feminism" though. But she's said she wants to be a good role model which is good and if nothing else, when you see all the Kylie Jenner type pouting teenagers around, Maisie looks refreshingly normal. In fact, I think she looks quite young for 18 but she's played a few strong female roles. If your daughter is into Doctor Who, she's going to be guest starring in it this weekend.

I personally love Natalie Dormer, although she's probably too grown-up for your daughter as she's done a few raunchy roles but I think she's extremely charismatic. She's also played a lot of strong female types and has spoken about feminism and how she hasn't liked the way some of her characters have been portrayed so she's persuaded the producers to change bits. I think she's one of the most intelligent and eloquent actresses out there right now - just watch any of her interviews and you'll see that.

And before anyone thinks I'm a Game of Thrones nut for suggesting these two, I've never actually seen it.