Powerful women supporting other powerful women. Among many people in our increasingly socially aware world, this concept is regarded as an undeniably important facet of feminism. This idea is collectively referred to as the “Shine Theory”, a term initially coined by Ann Friedman in her article for New York Magazine. Women in their twenties and beyond are starting to recognize this idea, and celebrities are beginning to use their influence to address the importance of women supporting women. Despite that, younger girls putting each other down, or ‘girl hate’, seems to be far more prevalent among girls and teenagers.
At what point do we cross the line? Of course, women being envious of each other is not a nonexistent concept, but talking to my mother and grandmother, aunts and cousins, I realize that in order to stop the constant comparison among women, we need to teach girls their worth as soon as we possibly can.
Am I wrong? From the day girls enter the fifth grade, they’re taught to compare themselves to other girls. Am I smarter than her? Are her clothes nicer than mine? Am I funnier than her? The environment of most middle schools and high schools is built in such a way that convinces girls that every other female is their competition from day one. Putting girls against each other, even indirectly, sets them up for insecurity and lack of self confidence in their future, not to mention all of the ramifications in terms of mental health and instability. At age thirteen, it’s so much harder to get rid of this mindset than it is at age thirty.
That’s why it’s so important to raise young girls with the notion that another girl’s beauty, intelligence, or wit does not signify the absence of their own. If we raise today’s girls to compliment, praise, and support their peers, we will soon have an entire world of strong, confident, powerful women who raise their own daughters the same way. By acknowledging the reality of the Shine Theory and educating girls about it, we’re making the world a better place for girls for generations to come. Powerful girls make powerful women.
The fact of the matter is that it’s crucial for us to encourage girls to celebrate their fellow powerful females. Whether we’d like to admit it or not, the world can be a difficult place for girls everywhere, and it’d be a lot more bearable if we knew that we had an entire support system behind us. Supporting other successful women not only fosters a sense of sisterhood but also compels us to chase our own dreams and find our own success. Instead of silencing other women and their efforts to be the best version of themselves, let us celebrate them.
So – essentially – the next time you start to feel jealous of another woman’s career advancement or new haircut or perfectly put-together outfit, remind yourself that turning your negative feelings into positive ones is crucial for the wellbeing of feminism. The fate of the Shine Theory depends on it. This is bigger than us. We’re trading one moment of petty self-indulgence for an entire movement that lets girls everywhere feel powerful.
