By: Ophelia Inez Weeks, Ph.D., Associate Professor
Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International
University
Invited by the Government of Bermuda to participate
as a panelist for Topic #4 at the Women In Public Life
Conference, Hamilton, Bermuda Oct 17-20, 2002.
Abstract:
What do we really mean when we talk about empowering
the next generation of women? To some, it may mean helping
young women to develop the autonomy to make their own
choices and giving them the freedom to act on those
choices. Others may see it as just stepping back or
stepping aside so that young women can chart their own
course, with leave to depart from the way we do things.
Personally, I think that empowering the next generation
includes more, much more. In authorizing, warranting
and licensing the generation that follows us, there
are key elements that must be considered and incorporated
in the process…the core moral values that the
next generation brings to the table, the preparatory
platforms that we, as mentors and teachers build and
use, the types of environment that we create for them
and the guideposts that we provide for them.
In focusing on women as leaders, our preparatory platform
must encompass young men, as well as young women, but
from different perspectives, since most boys develop
from social and cultural molds that differ from those
of girls. As we prepare young women to assume leadership
roles, we must prepare young men to support their efforts.
And, in order to have an impact on these young people
and to gain their trust, there must be absolutely no
question in their minds that our interest in their well
being is authentic.
The ‘pearls of wisdom’ that we pass on are
gained from our life experiences and I have learned
that to be empowered, at the very least, requires knowing
who you are, believing in yourself and having confidence
in your actions.
On a daily basis, as mentors and as teachers, we have
the opportunity to nurture, to support and to reflect
on how a university campus, whether in the classroom,
or beyond its walls, can be a better place for young
people, especially for young women. On our campuses
and in our classrooms, we must provide an environment
that cultivates competence and confidence in young women.
And, we must never forget that as educators, we play
a major role in providing the compass and the lenses
that help young women navigate their journey to empowerment.
SALUTATIONS
Introduction
We have been asked to talk about empowering the next
generation of women. What I would like to do today is
share with you, from my perspective and experience what
have been affective strategies. I will address four
issues:
- Social development,
- Issues of caring,
- Life experiences and
- What we can do as mentors and teachers.
Young men and young women develop from different social
and cultural molds. And so, the question then is how
do we prepare our daughters for leadership roles and
our sons to support their efforts? Although our focus
is on women as leaders, the preparatory platform must
include both young women and young men, but from different
perspectives because of the social and cultural molds
from which boys and girls develop. In many cultures,
young boys have the privilege of developing under an
umbrella of entitlement, with 1st dibs on life’s
necessities and luxuries. By virtue of being male, they
occupy the top spot on the totem pole. They are encouraged
to be individuals; they have the freedom to make mistakes,
to be aggressive and to be competitive. They learn to
subdue their emotions, and ultimately, are expected
to be leaders. This by the way is in and of itself an
enormous pressure, with its own problems. For many young
girls, their framework is just the opposite and perfection
is expected. Admittedly, in some cultures especially
within the last 25 years, these differences have been
less obvious. Yet differences still do exist. They are
subtle and disguised, and the negative impact is insidious.
However, in many cultures, the differences are still
quite blatant. Studies have shown that during the early
developmental years, young girls exhibit personalities
that are feisty & fearless, spiced with stunning
intellectual curiosity and potential. But in a large
number of cases, by the time they reach 13 years old
or so, most of these traits are abandoned, resulting
in young girls who are timid, submissive, dependent,
and unsure of themselves with very little self esteem.
Many are convinced that their only place in society
is as a 2nd class citizen. As young women they have
to re-learn the process of becoming individuals again,
of not being afraid, of standing up for themselves,
and of standing out. They have to re-learn the process
of putting potentiality into actuality. For many young
men, on the other hand, because of the mold from which
they tend to develop and because of the constant positive
reinforcements and encouragements they receive, this
is not even an issue. But young men have to be brought
to the realization (sometimes kicking and screaming)
that opportunities and privileges are to be shared and
in some cases relinquished; that entitlements are passé,
instead, replaced by collaboration and cooperation.
We must, as mentors and teachers, understand these are
gender-based sequential stages of social development
and take them into account as we provide guidance to
these young people.
The literature has shown me that the generation of
women before me realized that they were oppressed and
made a promise to themselves to do something about that,
for themselves and for their daughters. My generation
is continuing to work on that promise, with still many
miles to go, for us and for our daughters. Today, there
are a wide array of opportunities and just as many challenges.
We have a better sense of where we are coming from.
Where we are going and where we are guiding our daughters
continue to be a work in progress and one of the reasons
we are gathered here today.
Starting point: Showing that we care
But where do we start? In order to have an impact on
these young people we must gain their trust. There must
be absolutely no question in their minds that our interest
in their well being is authentic. I raise the importance
of caring because based on over a decade and a half
of receiving students’ evaluations at the end
of each semester, there is no doubt in my mind that
when students sense that you care, they tend to be more
inclined to listen, to work harder, to learn better.
Over the years, their comments on caring have been a
common theme in their evaluation of my efforts as a
teacher. I’ll quote two short statements. One
student wrote: ’I said it in Anatomy and I have
to say it again, you are one of the most caring Professors
FIU has. They need more teachers like you’. Another
student wrote: ’I like the fact that she took
the time to listen to students. I think that it is very
important that teachers establish a good relationship
with students. It stimulates the process of learning’.
Students know when you are concerned and they are primed
and receptive to your guidance if they can trust.
A Glimpse of the Road I Traveled
Who we are, what we know, and the pearls of wisdom
that we are able to pass on, we get from our life experiences.
As the second eldest, I was raised in a family with
six brothers and a sister, in Monrovia, Liberia, West
Africa. What is important to note is that while growing-up,
my parents made sure that each one of us had chores
and responsibilities, including older siblings being
responsible for younger siblings. When I think back
to this time in my life, to actually being responsible
for making sure that my sister had brushed her teeth
and was properly dressed and on time for school, and
likewise for my brothers with younger brothers, I am
convinced that this very idea of being responsible for
another human being at a young age, contributed largely
to our community-minded and service-oriented values.
My parents made no real distinctions between what were
“boy” chores or “girl” chores,
or what were “boy” activities or “girl”
activities. I could climb trees, shoot BB guns, play
soccer with my brothers and cousins, I could cook and
bake and so did my sister and brothers. I had to do
housework and so did they (I hated housework and still
do!). We could do almost anything, after we did our
chores. What this did for my sister (who is here today)
and what it did for me, and my brothers was to place
very little stock on limitations. This, too, is obvious
in our lives today.
My parents made no differentiation in what their expectations
were for my sister, my brothers or me. They had high
expectations for all of us and encouraged us to do the
best that we could and to be the best that we could,
without being over-bearing and demanding. This was not
too difficult for us to accept and I don’t recall
that we thought these expectations were too high, either.
My siblings and I saw how people in our community respected
our parents and responded to them. Because our parents
were good role models, my brothers, sister and I had
high expectations for our selves.
From the age of about fourteen or so, I had the responsibility
on Saturdays of making the family grocery list (with
prices) and doing the shopping, while my brothers did
housework. I went to the open-air-markets to get the
fresh fruits, vegetables and other indigenous foods,
did the supermarket grocery shopping, went to the butcher
shop and picked out the meats, like the brisket and
stewing beef, went to the fish shop to get the fish,
went to the baker shop to get the breads. My mother
trusted that I could do this, do it well and within
the budget that I was given. When I think back, this
was a challenge and responsibility, this was quite empowering,
at such a young age, being entrusted to do the grocery
shopping for the entire family! I loved it!
We were encouraged to be involved in extracurricular
activities like sports. Although all of us at some point
in time played competitive sports, I turned out to be
the family jock and competitively participated in every
available athletic event that time permitted. Competition
provides excellent life skills. It teaches you how to
be motivated from within; you become exposed to winning
and losing and it teaches you how to cope with each.
When you play on a team, you acquire skills in collaborating
and the joy and camaraderie that come with that collaboration.
In addition, you learn personal control.
I should note that although my siblings and I in many
ways lived in what might be considered a privileged
environment, our family was in no way, shape or form,
wealthy. Our parents were constantly struggling to make
ends meet. We were aware of their continuous financial
struggles, but we were never deprived of necessities.
Along the way, we saw the many sacrifices that they
made for us, which made us realize how much they cared.
There was never a doubt in our minds that our parents
loved us (except perhaps when they were taking disciplinary
measures for some reason or another). Yes, they provided
structure in our lives, with disciplinary measures when
necessary, which in turn provided our framework for
knowing and appreciating the rights and the wrongs,
the appropriate and the inappropriate…all of this,
they taught us by example. In turn, as different as
each one of my brothers is, as different as my sister
or I am from my brothers or from each other, what this
provided for each one of us was a set of core moral
values, from which everything that we do is based. Today,
we’re all living reasonably self-fulfilling and
productive lives. I relay this brief story about where
I came from because embedded are key elements that I
think empowered me to do well, to better know who I
am, to have confidence in myself and to forge forward,
not at the expense of others, but rather, when necessary,
helping someone else that might need help. My parents
showed that they cared, my parents led by example, my
parents instilled in us core moral values. These elements,
I bring to my students, as a teacher and as a mentor.
These elements help me to better provide the guideposts
that I can offer to young women.
What We Can Offer As Teachers and Mentors
On a daily basis, as mentors and as teachers, we have
the opportunity to nurture, to support and to reflect
on how a university campus, whether in or beyond the
classroom, can be a better place for young people, especially
for young women. On our campuses and in our classrooms,
we must provide an environment that cultivates competence
and confidence in young women. How do we do this? From
my vantage point, it is not a matter of a litany of
do’s and don’ts, because each young woman
brings with her, her own set of personal experiences,
making a “one set of solutions fit all”
scenario unlikely. As mentors and teachers, when we
pay attention and listen, our instincts usually lead
us in the right direction. For instance, why is it that
in a university classroom, more often than not, men
raise their hands far more than women, even when the
women are in the majority? Could it be that they have
given-up on participating in class because they had
been ignored one too many times and had reached the
“why bother” stage? One evening over dinner,
a good friend, also a University professor relayed this
story to us: She had gone to pick-up her 5/6 year old
niece from an after-school program and observed as the
primary school teacher had called the kids to gather
for a demonstration. In no time, all the little boys
with loud “oohs” & “ahs”
had pushed their way to the front displacing all the
little girls to the back. When the teacher asked questions,
all the kids raised their hands. But the boys were in
the front, "ooh-ing" & "ah-ing"
the loudest. Not once did the teacher call on a single
girl during the entire time, even though the little
girls had their hands up just as high. My friend and
colleague said she will never forget the look of disappointment
on her niece’s face….she knew the answers,
but was never called. To boot, the teacher was female.
It comes right down to our being better able to understand
the needs of young women and to create environments
that will support and encourage them. In such environments,
opportunities can be provided where they can actively
discover themselves.
We must never forget that as educators, we play a
major role in providing the compass and the lenses that
help young women navigate their journey to empowerment.
THANK YOU.
Recommended Readings:
1. Girls Will Be Girls. 1st edition, 2002, JoAnn Deak,
Ph.D. with Teresa Barker, Hyperion Press, 77 W 66th
St., NY, NY 10023-6298, ISBN 0-7868-6768-X.
2. See Jane Win. 2000, Sylvia Rimm, Ph.D., Three Rivers
Press, NY, NY, ISBN 0-609-80560-6.
3. How Jane Won. 2001, Sylvia Rimm, Ph.D., with Sara
Rimm-Kaufman, Ph.D., Three Rivers Press, NY, NY, ISBN
0-609-80720-X.
4. Women Who Broke All the Rules. How the Choices
of A Generation Changed Our Lives. 1999, Susan B. Evans,
Ed.D. & Joan P. Avis, Ph.D., Sourcebooks Inc., PO
Box 4410 Naperville, Il, 60567-4410, ISBN 1-57071-430-4.
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