As I have progressed in my career in mental health counseling it has become increasingly important and meaningful to work with women and girls on self-empowerment and internalized oppression. Due in part to my own journey of dismantling ingrained and dysfunctional internalized sexism, I am acutely aware of how these issues show up in the lives of my clients. I am always looking for new resources and literature on the subject of female empowerment and recently came across Laura Bates’ book, Girl Up. If one can fall in love with a book, that’s what I did. I began wistfully daydreaming about what my life would have been like if I had read this book at 15 (or younger). The book is targeted toward a young female audience, but I think women of all ages can benefit from giving it a read…especially if you are a mother. Girl Up is basically a funny and fearless handbook for becoming a woman in our patriarchal and sexist society. Could it be more fearless? Yes, but I appreciate it for what it is and highly recommend it to others…boys and men too! I was first introduced to Bates’ work when I stumbled across her Everyday Sexism Project, a website where girls and women can upload their real stories of encountering sexism on a daily basis. The site is extremely powerful and is still up and running today. Check out the site and the book when you get a chance. And never be afraid to girl up!
