Reshma Sajani founded Girls Who Code (a nonprofit organization that works to eliminate the gender disparity in technology). Reshma discovered that most women choose careers in which they feel they can succeed, even if they have a high chance of failing. She discovered that many women choose careers that are more celebrated than those that require risk taking. Saujani (np), emphasized that girls should be taught courage at school as well as in their chosen professions. It is crucial that girls are taught to be brave, not just because they are imperfect. This paper aims to teach girls courage and show them that it is okay for them to fail and take risks.
Recently, fearlessness is a theme that keeps coming up in my mind. In conversations I’ve had with my friends in the last few months, it’s been brought up several times. This has led me to think about ways to teach girls to be brave and take risks. One of my classmates is a huge fan of his teacher. He said that his teacher encourages her students to take chances. Her teacher is open to all students participating in class presentations, thereby making them more fearless. My classmates and I were able to go camping together. We were supposed camping in tents but the snow was still quite heavy from the winter. Instead of sleeping in tents, we slept in the cabin. It was exciting, and the weather did not affect our mood. We settled into our cabins and decided to go for a hike through the forest at night. It was approximately five miles through the snow. We were right at the front, sliding through snow. All of our male colleagues were quick to grab fallen branches from the trees and use them as walking sticks or exploring other areas along the trail. All of the girls were walking in the opposite direction to me.
Finally, we came upon a large tree that had fallen and was blocking our path. The girls were left behind as we ran to the tree and began walking across it. The log was never walked across by any of the girls. Although we tried to encourage them, not one girl would take the initiative. The log was too big for them so they were afraid to try. I couldn’t help but wonder what the girls had been through to inspire them to think this way. They were probably afraid to take risks.
We moved on, leaving behind some girls. They tried to walk across the log, holding hands and helping one another. After they had successfully walked across the log, they were excited. They couldn’t stop trying it again. They wanted to succeed, so I believe they were determined to give it another go.
It is important for girls to understand that success in real life is not a result of perfection but bravery. Education has seen a significant shift in recent years. Instead of teaching content, the focus has shifted to teaching students skills such as collaboration and bravery. We need to teach bravery and intention to our girls. This is possible by giving girls the chance to take risks in a safe and secure environment. Lack of confidence in one’s abilities is the main reason we fear making mistakes. It is usually girls with greater capacity that find it the most difficult to learn from their mistakes. They believe that making mistakes is a failure. This makes them feel bad and gives them the opportunity to learn. The key to learning is not about perfection, but perseverance and resilience. It is important to recognize the benefits of taking risks and failing, and celebrate them.
Final conclusion: Every woman needs to accept her imperfection. We can help girls be brave and take risks by teaching them to accept their imperfections. These young women will create a better universe for everyone in the universe and themselves. It is important to remind our girls that their courage and insecurities will not only be valued but accepted by society.
