The importance of role models
Girls in Australia and all around the world are ready👏 to👏 lead👏, yet a recent study in Australia claimed that nearly 50% of girls surveyed feel that their gender is a barrier to becoming a leader (!).
Female identifying role models are critical to helping girls believe that they can lead, and work in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Whilst there are incredible women in these fields, more often than not, they’re invisible.
👋This is a short little blog to shine a light on some of our favourites, and share ways in which you can bring good role model ju-ju vibes into the home.
Real World Role Models
A recent study of Australian girls named Jacinda Ardern (prime minister of New Zealand), Malala Yousazfai (nobel peace prize winner), Emma Watson (actor and humanitarian) and Greta Thunberg (climate change activist) as their top role models. If you were to survey us, we’d pick Sylvia Earle- oceanographer, aquanaut and the first person to walk solo on the bottom of the sea, under a quarter mile of water. (Check out our confident girls blog for more favourites)
Hungry for more? Beyond the Rebel Girls books (we know you all have a copy), here’s a list of other books shining a light on big boss women.
Cartoon Role Models
Cartoon role models can be just as powerful as their real world sisters. Right now we’re digging She-Ra: the princess of power (ages 7+). A teenage heroine who leads a team of magical princesses in an alliance to defeat the evil Horde.She also turned a horsey into a unicorn. No big deal.
There’s more where this came from. Check out Hilda the explorer (ages 8+)- the adventures of a fearless blue-haired girl who, along with her adorable deerfox, befriends even the most dangerous monsters with her kind and stubborn will. Keep this role model train rolling with The Rocketeer (Disney Junior, 6+) and Doc McStuffins (4+).
You
Sure, you may not be a lead in the Harry Potter series or have a unicorn side-kick, but the research shows that young women named their mothers as the best person to build their confidence to lead, followed by their friends, teachers, fathers and then siblings.
No matter who you are- you’re made of role model material. The flip-side of this power is that it can be a lot of pressure. Know that you don’t need to be a role-model for everything! You might pick just one thing- like, modelling the importance of loving to learn, being kind or cheering others on. What wil you model?
Our take
We packed the Talu Tales world with inspiring female identifying role models. Next up is our newest release, Diary of an Astronaut- an intergalactic friendship story that follows Luna, the star gazing astronaut. We think you’ll love her- but don’t take our word for it, check it out for yourself. Visit our character personality quiz to see which Talu Tales character is your role model match!
