Girl Power

Just over a decade ago I was a naive child, ready to be shaped by anything and everything the world wanted to throw at me. Endless hours of cartoons, sky-scraping towers of Lego bricks and a collection of brightly coloured picture books had taught me all I knew so far but that was about to change.

A substantial moment occurred in the distant summer of 1996, switching on the TV I see five girls: one in a tracksuit, one with pigtails, one in a cat-suit, one in a tailored jacket and one in a Union Jack mini dress. The Spice Girls. The girls screamed individuality and attitude along with the infamous phrase “Girl Power” which was set to influence my teenage years more than I would ever realise.

I was encouraged to be who I wanted to be and that was most definitely a girl. I discovered the exhilaration in clothes and make up: lipstick, skirts, hair bands, nail varnish – a chest of treasures that boys would never have the key to. The following years, I was all set to become the sixth Spice Girl: an outgoing adolescent with a unique sense of style.

But ‘Girl Power’ goes beyond just a pop group. It’s a term of empowerment – girls today have the freedom to do almost everything their male counterparts can. We’ve realised our capability both physically and mentally, everything from joining a rugby team to saving lives as a fire-fighter. Think of the Charlie’s Angels, Buffy the Vampire Slayer – fictitious examples yes, but what they stand for is visible in our modern day society. Long-gone are the days young women were taught needlecraft and baking in segregation for their future as a housewife. Now we’re perfectly competent to kick some butt and stand up for what we believe in. 

My own ‘Girl Power’ is validated through running. In a sport so bodily demanding it’s the assumption that boys will do better, but I challenged that. I train and race regularly with the opposite sex and am considerably faster than many.

It indeed seems that girls can have it all, if we’re prepared to work for it. The doors to male-only rooms have been opened and we’re now free to browse the boundless possibilities. And along with this we’re lucky enough to possess femininity – an impressive force in its own right: we can drift from cute to sexy with only a change of thought and it’s a power that will continually puzzle guys. 
So whether you’re stepping out in your heels or your Uggs, be proud of the fact that you’re a girl and embrace and enjoy the opportunities that the fairer sex makes available. Be positive, be strong and most importantly – have fun, because that is what ‘Girl Power’ is all about.