Empowering Girls: Combating Gender Bias & Sexism for a Confident Future

Dr. Cam and Dr. Jo-Ann Finkelstein take a deep dive into the impact of gender bias and sexism on young girls. They discuss how societal messages affect girls' confidence, self-worth, and opportunities. Dr. Finkelstein shares powerful insights on validating girls' experiences, teaching self-advocacy, and redefining their value beyond appearance. The conversation also highlights the importance of helping girls express emotions like anger, recognize microaggressions, and take up space in a world that often tries to shrink them. Plus, they explore how parents can raise empathetic sons who challenge gender norms.

  WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE

• How gender bias and societal expectations impact girls' confidence
• Why teaching girls to express anger and take up space is crucial
• The power of validating girls’ experiences and building self-advocacy skills
• How to raise sons who recognize and challenge gender bias
• Practical ways parents can help their daughters navigate sexism

  5 KEY TAKEAWAYS FOR PARENTS OF TEENS

• Girls receive constant messages of invisibility and unworthiness. Parents play a key role in reshaping these narratives.
• Validating girls' experiences is essential. It helps them feel heard and strengthens their self-esteem.
• Teaching girls self-advocacy starts early. Encouraging them to speak up and set boundaries builds confidence.
• Society often prioritizes masculine traits. It’s important to teach girls (and boys) that all traits have value.
• Empowering girls requires action. Parents must actively challenge bias, model emotional expression, and foster resilience.

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  RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Free Resource: Download 10 Mindful Practices for Preteens PDF
• Exclusive Offer: Work with Dr. Jo-Ann Finkelstein by visiting Jo-Ann Finkelstein

  EPISODE CHAPTERS

00:00 Understanding Gender Bias and Its Impact 06:05 Empowering Girls in a Biased World 14:10 Redefining Value Beyond Appearance 19:07 Building Confidence and Advocacy Skills 22:11 Empowering Girls to Express Emotions 25:00 Teaching Girls to Take Up Space 28:25 Recognizing and Addressing Microaggressions 32:49 Navigating Gender Bias and Self-Advocacy 37:11 Raising Empathetic Sons 42:24 Key Takeaways for Parents

  CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST: Dr. Jo-Ann Finkelstein 

• Website: Jo-Ann Finkelstein
• Instagram: @JoAnnFinkelstein
• LinkedIn: Jo-Ann Finkelstein

  CONNECT WITH YOUR HOST: Dr. Cam Caswell

• Website: AskDrCam.com
• Instagram: @DrCamCaswell
• TikTok: @the.teen.translator
• YouTube: Parenting Teens with Dr. Cam
• Facebook: @DrCamCaswell

  THE FULL TRANSCRIPT

 

Dr. Cam (00:00)

In today's episode, we tackle a critical issue that affects countless young girls, sexism and gender bias. Did you know that as of 2023, women still earn about 82 cents for every dollar earned by men or that women hold just 27 % of executive positions in Fortune 500 companies despite making up nearly half of the workforce? The reality is that gender bias starts early and can significantly impact girls' confidence, opportunities and futures. That's why I'm looking forward to talking to Dr. Joanne Finkelstein, a clinical psychologist and author of Sexism and Sensibility, Raising Empowered Resilient Girls in the Modern World. Dr. Finkelstein is here to share practical strategies for protecting our daughters from these pervasive issues, fostering their resilience and empowering them to navigate a world where gender bias still unfortunately exists.

 

Welcome Dr.. Finkelstein.

 

Jo-Ann Finkelstein, PhD (00:59)

It's so great to be here, Dr. Cam.

 

Dr. Cam (01:02)

So good to have you. So this is such an important topic. Let's start first. Why are you interested in this? What kind of inspired you to talk about and help girls deal with gender bias and sexism?

 

Jo-Ann Finkelstein, PhD (01:16)

I grew up in Canada. You know, I live in the States, but I grew up in Canada with three brothers. Canada, know, hockey is a national obsession. So I like to tell this story beca