Female empowerment for babies
Raising girls from toddlerhood to be advocates
Board books were created for babies and toddlers who, first, have a tendency to put things in their mouth, which paper cannot withstand, and, second, haven't yet learned how to be gentle, which paper also cannot withstand. Once children exit the toddler stage, they are better equipped to read normal books with paper pages, and even paper covers. With this developmental trajectory in mind, when an author or publishing house produces board books, they intend for those books to be read to babies and toddlers.
My 10-month-old daughter has four female empowerment board books, which were bought for her by various family members and friends. Each of them describes women who were the first female in some line of work, with one book focusing exclusively on women of color, or were an advocate for a cause that made an impact on society. The books are not written in story form, rather they tell readers who the women are and what they accomplished, encouraging the young reader to "dream big" or "be a trailblazer" like the women they are reading about. Because they are board books, the intention is for babies and little girls to hear the messages the books convey starting in the early months and years of their life.
These sorts of books are commonly found on bookstore shelves, given modern concerns, and I wasn't all that surprised to receive them as gifts for my daughter, again, given modern concerns. I was surprised by how much the authors focused on advocacy. Recognition was given to female scientists, doctors, and artists, but nearly equal weight, across the books, was given to women who fought for some cause. Certainly, advocates, whether male or female, have led efforts that resulted in societal changes for the better, but I found it striking that the authors viewed advocacy as equally aspirational to writing novels or scientific discovery. In other words, making demands of some person or institution is as aspirational as creating something that improves lives, so the authors seem to think.
Before I throw stones, I must admit: I have been a professional advocate. I got paid to make demands of politicians and government institutions. I was working for causes that I cared about but hadn't actually experienced and did not affect me personally, unlike many of the girls and women who were described in the books. But, funnily enough, I won't encourage my daughter to take the same path.
Much of the emphasis on advocacy is a result of calls to "use your voice," and the message that "your voice is your superpower." I have shared this message myself. But really, the better message is that your mind is your superpower. Concern for others is important, but making lives better usually stems from making things, which can include providing services not just goods. And improving your own well-being stems from creativity not resentment, which is often the impetus for advocacy.
I want my daughter to use her abilities, whatever they might be, and creativity to make things, to build something. I don't want her to use—perhaps, the better word is neglect—her talents to make demands of others. I don't want her to think that the best path to improving her community or increasing the quality of her life, her family's lives, or her community is by making demands of others. To be sure, I want her to share her ideas and speak up when she notices a wrong being done. But she can do that in the course of her life, in addition to creating things, not as a career path.
I also don't want my daughter to ever assume ill-will on the part of anyone in her life. I will teach her to recognize the signs of bad intentions but not to assume them. Books like the ones she was gifted imply, just by their very existence, that someone—likely, some man—will hold you back because you are a girl. They send the message that, unlike boys, girls need female role models to look up to, otherwise they might think that they cannot excel in some field of study, career path, intellectual endeavor, etc. simply because they are a girl. Ironically, books like these seem more likely to convince girls of this than the male teacher that typically gets blamed.
I will be removing the female empowerment books from our shelves before my daughter can read. I know the people who gave them to her mean well, but I'd rather stock our bookshelves with beautiful stories and the wisdom of philosophers than simplistic text that tell my daughter that the world is full of battles and the best path to recognition is by fighting.