Taking a step back from the wonderful world of language-learning for a moment to share some thoughts about being a female founder of a startup company. Today, I wanted to celebrate all the amazing GIRLS around the world: moms, entrepreneurs, students, employees and housewives. You rock!
The truth is, being a girl is not always super easy. We are expected to challenge gender roles while at the same time playing by all the old rules. We're expected to succeed in business, while being nice and caring. We’re expected to work long hours while having a perfectly tidy house. We’re expected to keep progressing our career while bringing up children. And we’re expected to be cute, sweet and feminine while filling in roles created by men and for men.
Dealing with such expectations sucks. It results in self-doubt, anxiety and insecurity. Women have been shown to be much less likely than men to think they are qualified to run for office or apply for a leadership a role. Women have been shown to be less confident and less competitve than their male counterparts. High-achieving women are also much more likely than men to experience the 'imposter syndrome' — that feeling that you're here by mistake, that everyone's about to realise how unqualified you are.
But girls, the world needs us! Female-founded startups are more likely to reach profitability. Businesses with women in leadership positions are more likely to grow, and woman-led governments are much more likely to resolve conflicts without violence. And in many countries, women are outnumbering men as university graduates. So the worlds of work, government, and family are changing for the better. They're becoming more inclusive and more able to allow everyone to contribute their best work and their best selves. Culture, however, can be a bit slower to shift.
So girls, don’t let anyone make you feel you’re not capable, not good enough, not girly enough. Never give up. Never change to fit in. Keep going, keep growing, keep making the world a better place! ??