My in-laws recently gave our oldest daughter a book I had recommended in my best STEM gift guide: Code Like a Girl. Curious, my father-in-law asked why there were so many “like a girl” toys, t-shirts, and books around.
When we hear that someone’s doing something like a girl, many of us picture a weaker version of whatever that thing is: throwing like a girl, crying like a girl, fighting like a girl. These books and toys are reclaiming the slur as a mantra, so that when my three daughters hear that someone’s doing something like a girl, that could only mean one thing: it’s awesome.
Today is International Day of Women and Girls in Science — a day established by the United Nations to recognize the essential role of women and girls in science and technology. Marking days like today is one way we can work toward a future where girls and women are fully represented, but I hope they will one day become superfluous, and we can officially retire them. Needless to say, we’re not there yet.
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