Girls Talk Politics
The Problem: Young Girls Are Often Discouraged From Sharing Their Opinions About Politics, Policy, and Current Affairs
Women in politics, particularly women of color, experience overwhelming levels of abuse and gendered disinformation campaigns, which traditional and social media often fuel and perpetuate. With the purpose of discrediting, delegitimizing, and silencing women in politics, studies have shown that women are often discouraged and dissuaded from getting involved in politics because of gendered media reporting. The lack of media representation of women enagging politics can lead to sexism in voting; Pew Research Center found that “45% of U.S. adults overall – including 57% of women – said many Americans not being ready to elect a woman to higher office was a major reason why there were fewer women than men in these positions.” Furthermore, LGBTQ+ Victory Institute published a report that found that women are less likely to run for office if they have not participated or campaign related activities before.
Our solution: Provide Young Girls a Platform to Share Their Opinions About Politics
In light of the 2024 election season, we believe that, now more than ever, it is vital for young girls to feel empowered to share their opinions about candidates, policies, and proposals that affect their future. We have opened up a blog on our website, where we invite young female writers to share their op-eds on these issues.