Conference brings
attention to power, plight
of young girls

By Lori Tighe
Star-Bulletin

Girl power means more than just the Spice Girls band.

It is the power within girls to believe in themselves.

The term is gaining popularity in the United States, including Hawaii, as parents and professionals realize girls need specific attention geared toward them to overcome many societal issues, such as the need to be model thin.

Girls continue to face gender inequities, according to the Hawaii Girls Project, which held the state's first "Power of the Girls" conference yesterday at Tokai University.

Teen-age girls experience disproportionately higher emotional stress, depression, eating disorders and suicide attempts than boys, according to the Hawaii Girls Project under the state Office of Youth Services.

Girls' levels of self-confidence tend to plummet during adolescence, causing them to perform less well in school, particularly in math and science. Girls' participation in vigorous physical activity also tends to decline in early adolescence.

Girls face increasing pressures today to be thin, pretty and popular, despite women's liberating strides, said Meda Chesney-Lind, professor of women's studies at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

"A woman can be liberated and have anorexia nervosa. We're still hung up on our appearance," she said.

In Marilyn Monroe's day, models weighed 8 percent less than the average woman, Chesney-Lind said. Today's models weigh 23 percent less than the average woman who weighs 144 pounds, wears a size 12-14, and is 5-foot-4.

Girls are also experiencing problems younger, said Marty-Jean Bender, who is on the steering committee for Kihei Charter Public High School, under construction.

"They're maturing physically at a much younger age because of diet and better health, so they're experiencing problems sooner," Bender said. "I had a student, a seventh-grader, who skipped classes and I found out she was trying to avoid her father and uncle who were raping her."

As a result, girls today often deal with more than they are emotionally ready for, Bender said.

"The challenge for parents and teachers is how can we prepare them better," she said.

Girls have been "demonized" to some extent by the media and society for becoming increasingly more violent, Chesney-Lind said.

"Are girls more violent? No. I think it's hypervigilance and relabeling," she said.

In Hawaii, one out of three youths arrested is female, compared to the U.S. rate of one out of four. Yet the majority of girls' arrests here are for nonviolent offenses, such as running away, truancy and curfew violation.

Girls in Hawaii do have worse problems with alcohol and drugs, Chesney-Lind said. More girls use alcohol, marijuana, ice (crystal methamphetamine) or cocaine, than boys. And they use substances for different reasons.

"Boys are testing their limits when they use substances. Girls are self-medicating often from sexual and physical abuse," she said.

Thirty-four percent of all girls are abused before they reach adulthood, according to the Hawaii Girls Project. Girls often react to the abuse by running away, fighting back and acting out.

"Girls want respect, to be listened to," Chesney-Lind said, "and to be treated equally to boys."

What parents can do Praise girls for their accomplishments, not only for their appearance. Encourage girls to take math and science to broaden career options. Provide toys and books showing males and females in nontraditional roles. Encourage girls to participate in outdoor activities and organized sports. Teach girls problem-solving skills. Do not "rescue" her prematurely. Encourage your daughter to take risks, like trying something new. Teach your daughter to express anger and emotions constructively. Help your daughter in "owning" her achievements instead of downplaying them. Teach your children when a girl says "no" in a romantic situation, it means no. Help your daughter develop critical thinking and questioning skills. Source: Hawaii Girls Project