Female Role Models

[LiberalPrincess]

I think every person has serious character flaws if you dig deep enough. That's a really important point. I think its necessary to show young girls great women in power but also point out where these women fail. Gloria Steinem has been very oppressive and openly transphobic in the past. But she is also a major fighter for reproductive freedom. Her failure in one realm doesn't undermine her victories in another. It shows that she's a human and you shouldn't try to be her, you should be yourself but know that you can accomplish great things because of the women who came before you and paved the roads.

What a great post, particularly the last line. I think some of the people, particularly men, who have had the largest impact on our nation and how it has developed have also been some of the most troubled in other aspects of their lives. Thomas Jefferson, FDR, Kennedy, the list goes on. I think you can look to specific aspects of a life to emulate without having to believe that role models need to be perfect.

 

[leagirl12]

I would TOTALLY avoid any political or entertainment "celebrities". I do not consider those to be relevant role models. Nor do I consider being the wife of a prominent man a particularly valid "role model".

I don't think we should completely write off entertainment celebrities. These are the people that at the tween age alot of girls relate to. It is who they want to be like. I get there are people who have contributed to society and their community but young girls are more interested in the ones on the magazines. So I try to encourage the ones I want my daughter to be like. No not Hannah Montana but there are some.

When I look at someone like Miranda Lambert who has had a rough life growing up, including homelessnes as a child, and see how she isn't ashamed of it and still holds her head high when she talks about it. Or when I see her not feel like she has to be a size 3 in order to fit in...these are traits I want my daughter to emulate. I want my daughter to see someone who is okay in their own skin. Miranda is just one that pops in my head but there are others.

Yes I want my daughter to know about those who contributed to society and ultimately they are the ones to look up to but I don't think it is fair to discredit celebrities just because they are celebrities. Not all are starlets!

 

[Magic Mom]

Condoleezza Rice. I think she's the epitome of what a role model should be.

 

[Art 1]

Sarah Palin.

 

[Planogirl]

Anne Frank

 

[Queen2PrincessG]

Sara Blakely
Katherine Hepburn
Dian Fossey

 

[CaliforniaDreamin]

Rosa Parks
Clara Barton
Florence Nightengale

 

[LuvCuteBoys]

It totally depends on what's important to you. I wouldn't want my kids looking up to Gloria Steinem. I'd much rather they emulate someone like Sandra Bullock who can laugh at herself and show grace in a terrible situation then someone who supports and fights for things that I don't agree with.

Everyone's answer will be different, for different reasons. I also think that it's more important to talk about role models in general instead of separating them into male and female categories. Understanding why you respect someone is more important in my opinion than caring what their gender is.

 

[christineann]

Condoleezza Rice. I think she's the epitome of what a role model should be.

 

[No.17CherryTreeLane]

- The Flight Attendants of 9/11

- The Unsinkable Molly Brown

 

[CaliforniaDreamin]

Everyone's answer will be different, for different reasons. I also think that it's more important to talk about role models in general instead of separating them into male and female categories. Understanding why you respect someone is more important in my opinion than caring what their gender is.

Since it's for a Girl Scout thing, I don't have an issue with women role models being separated from male role models. Chances are, unless the girls go on to college and take Womens Studies, they are not going to have the opportunity to focus exclusively on female role models. I think it's a female empowerment excercise.

 

[luvmy3]

Abigail Adams
Marie Curie
Clara Barton
Jane Goodall

 

[LiberalPrincess]

Since it's for a Girl Scout thing, I don't have an issue with women role models being separated from male role models. Chances are, unless the girls go on to college and take Womens Studies, they are not going to have the opportunity to focus exclusively on female role models. I think it's a female empowerment excercise.

I totally agree. Why not focus on female role models for women? Bring on the sisterhood!

 

[CaliforniaDreamin]

I totally agree. Why not focus on female role models for women? Bring on the sisterhood!

Granted, it's been almost 20 years since I was in high school, but I really don't remember studying many females who had an impact on shaping our world. It's time we got some attention!

Here is an interesting one that combines show biz with science. Hedy Lamarr. This is from wikipedia, but I've known for years that she was so much more than an actress.

Hedy Lamarr (pronounced /ˈheɪdi/, commonly /ˈhɛdi/) (November 9, 1913 – January 19, 2000) was an Austrian-born American actress of Jewish descent. Though known primarily for her film career as a major contract star of MGM's "Golden Age", she also co-invented an early technique for spread spectrum communications, a key to many forms of wireless communication.[

Also, Julia Child had an interesting life.

Child joined the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) after finding that she was too tall to enlist in the Women's Army Corps (WACs) or in the U.S. Navy through the WAVES.[5]

Child began her OSS career as a typist at its headquarters in Washington, but because of her education and experience soon got a more responsible position as a top secret researcher working directly for the head of OSS, General William J. Donovan.[6] Working as a research assistant in the Secret Intelligence division, she typed ten thousand names on white note cards to keep track of officers. For a year, she worked at the OSS Emergency Rescue Equipment Section (ERES) in Washington, D.C. as a file clerk and then as assistant to developers of a shark repellent needed to ensure that sharks would not explode ordnance targeting German U-boats. In 1944 she was posted to Kandy, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), where her responsibilities included "registering, cataloging and channeling a great volume of highly classified communications" for the OSS's clandestine stations in Asia.[7] She was later posted to China, where she received the Emblem of Meritorious Civilian Service as head of the Registry of the OSS Secretariat.[8]

 

[CaliforniaDreamin]

Forgot one: Danica Mckeller who played Winnie Cooper on the Wonder Years.
The girl is a math genius.

McKellar studied mathematics at UCLA, graduating with highest honors (summa cum laude) in 1998. As an undergraduate, she coauthored a scientific paper[14] with Professor Lincoln Chayes and fellow student Brandy Winn. Their results are termed the 'Chayes–McKellar–Winn theorem'.[15][16] Referring to the mathematical abilities of his student coauthors, Chayes was quoted in the New York Times[17] as saying, "I thought that the two were really, really first-rate." McKellar's Erdős number is four.[18]

 

[LiberalPrincess]

Granted, it's been almost 20 years since I was in high school, but I really don't remember studying many females who had an impact on shaping our world. It's time we got some attention!

Here is an interesting one that combines show biz with science. Hedy Lamarr. This is from wikipedia, but I've known for years that she was so much more than an actress.

Hedy Lamarr (pronounced /ˈheɪdi/, commonly /ˈhɛdi/) (November 9, 1913 – January 19, 2000) was an Austrian-born American actress of Jewish descent. Though known primarily for her film career as a major contract star of MGM's "Golden Age", she also co-invented an early technique for spread spectrum communications, a key to many forms of wireless communication.[

Also, Julia Child had an interesting life.

Child joined the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) after finding that she was too tall to enlist in the Women's Army Corps (WACs) or in the U.S. Navy through the WAVES.[5]

Child began her OSS career as a typist at its headquarters in Washington, but because of her education and experience soon got a more responsible position as a top secret researcher working directly for the head of OSS, General William J. Donovan.[6] Working as a research assistant in the Secret Intelligence division, she typed ten thousand names on white note cards to keep track of officers. For a year, she worked at the OSS Emergency Rescue Equipment Section (ERES) in Washington, D.C. as a file clerk and then as assistant to developers of a shark repellent needed to ensure that sharks would not explode ordnance targeting German U-boats. In 1944 she was posted to Kandy, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), where her responsibilities included "registering, cataloging and channeling a great volume of highly classified communications" for the OSS's clandestine stations in Asia.[7] She was later posted to China, where she received the Emblem of Meritorious Civilian Service as head of the Registry of the OSS Secretariat.[8]

Darn, I totally should have thought of Julia Child. One of my personal heroes. Also, I will add Audrey Hepburn into the mix. What she chose to do with her celebrity was really impressive.

 

[CaliforniaDreamin]

Darn, I totally should have thought of Julia Child. One of my personal heroes. Also, I will add Audrey Hepburn into the mix. What she chose to do with her celebrity was really impressive.

Well, I forgot about Audrey Hepburn! It just goes to show you, that even when you look at the entertainment industry, there are a few brilliant women who are excellent role models.

 

[Queen2PrincessG]

OH, Billie Holiday

 

[Art 1]

OH, Billie Holiday

Interesting choice. She led a life of promiscuity, died broke, addicted to drugs and in legal problems.

A wonderful talent who led a pitiful life.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

I don't get picking random celebrities and people in history to be your role models. Your role models should be people like your family etc. For example- almost everyone has family that came through Ellis Island. Most did not even speak English. Yet- they worked hard and made good lives for their families. Look how far we have come from that. What about your own Mom? Or Grandma, or Aunt, or Cousin etc. These are the people in my opinion who should be a young girl's role models. Not some person they read a book about. Your own family should be inspiring you to become all you dream of. YMMV.