When I was young,
I wanted to be
a large animal vet.
I was told by
a man
that women didn’t become
large animal vets.
I didn’t know
any female large animal vets.
I looked up that career
in the school library
and couldn’t find any mentions
of female large animal vets.
Unable to refute him,
I ended up
abandoning that dream.
THIS is why
representation is important.
THIS is why
I currently donate books
that feature women holding
a variety of roles
to the Little Free Library
in my neighborhood.
Barbie Dream Gap Project
shares
“Andrei Cimpian,
Associate Professor of Psychology
at New York University
conducted a study
with 400 children ages 5-7,
and identified that
by age 6,
girls were significantly less likely
to associate brilliance
with their own gender,
when compared to
boys of the same age.
The full study was published
in the Journal of Science
and was covered by
the New York Times.
This critical time
in girls’ development
when they begin losing confidence,
is called the Dream Gap.
The Dream Gap creates barriers
for girls to reach their full potential,
which can negatively affect
and inhibit their future trajectory
or career choices.”
Representation is important.
If you can,
consider
appearing on panels,
writing articles,
being visible in your field.
Yes, you will attract the trolls.
We all do.
But you will also
show little girls
that women CAN change the world.