Whether you need a holiday gift for your niece or a birthday gift for someone’s daughter, we’re encouraging you to think outside the box and give girl empowerment gifts. Gifts like makeup, clothes, and toys that are traditionally targeted towards girls are largely static in value — they don’t give back more past the face value. They’re temporarily enjoyed. Sure, rock polishers and creativity/ jewelry making kits are great — they keep kids busy, give them goals, and help them create beautiful products. But, why not give a gift that builds values in a child instead, one that shapes their understanding of responsibility and their role in the future? One that educates them or provides them with inspiration, curiosity, or confidence?
Children hold the greatest amount of potential and the largest amount of power to take in the future. The ability to change the world for the better, to come up with solutions to the environmental damage we’ve caused, and to create sustainable societies. We want you to challenge the young girls in your life to see-through the status-quo; our future leaders are going to be shaped by the education, resources, and role models they’re given so why not make sure to do everything in your power to be the most positive influence you can be? Below are 5 great gift ideas for young girls that will challenge them, teach them, and inspire them.
1. A Book to Make Sure She Knows Her Body
Some women make it their whole lives without looking at themselves down there; few masturbate as openly and comfortably as they could, and most feel some sort of shame. Every woman should be proud of her vagina, know what it looks like and believe in its beauty. Our vaginas are emblems and vessels of power; if we open it to someone, we should understand the implications, the health risks, and the consequences. We should be taught about our bodies by women, learn to respect them for what they are instead of what and how men see them or how women’s bodies are portrayed in the media. Even contemporary standards for beauty are arguably oppressive and discriminatory; part of understanding beauty and health from a basic level stems from understanding the biology and science involved.
Most young girls don’t receive quality or comprehensive sex education, let alone reproductive health education. That’s why we’re supporting our friends Christian and Kristen and their Kickstarter campaign to fund the first book of it’s kind – Vaginas and Periods 101: A Pop-Up Book! It’s a fun way to introduce the young ones to their body, combining education and comedy to makes those important conversations a little easier. Let girls know it isn’t scary, and that it’s okay to look different; let them know that there are options ranging from diva cups to applicator-free tampons and she can pick one. Choice is a power, just as knowledge is power. Although the book isn’t ready to be bought and gifted, you can back the project here in honor of the young girl in your life you’d like to give the gift of body empowerment. All backers, depending on the level of funding, will also get to choose from an array of rewards like a one year supply of Maxim Hygiene organic and natural menstrual care products or a signed copy of the book once it goes to print!
2. Stories for Rebel Girls
This textbook-worthy ‘bedtime storybook’ is honestly something that every girl and young woman can appreciate, a theory supported by the original Kickstarter project being funded almost 17x over! The original is filled with 100 stories about 100 women who have made history by challenging society and being fiercely true to themselves, illustrated by illustrated by 100 female artists from all over the world! Unlocking all their stretch goals, the two women co-founders (Timbuktu Labs) have also donated 400 copies to Read to a Child and this past January, held a 7-day workshop on female leadership for young girls and women in Kigali, Rwanda, partnering with The Art House Rwanda, a local collective of artists based in Kigali. They’ve also recently released a 2nd volume offer, so if you have the first or know someone who does, it’s still a great gift!
3. Kits for Engineers, Smartie-Pants, and Future Robot Overladies
Train your young lady to be prepared in case a robot army overtakes their generation. Get her a Robot Starter Kit (there are some with Star Wars themes!) to help her learn the basics of engineering, the building blocks of technology, and the functioning of mechanics. Research reports a gender gap in science and math education as early on as kindergarten; young women lack the confidence to translate STEM education into careers. The technology sector is filled with men and the culture is competitive instead of collaborative; expectations for women entering the industry as well as their career trajectories are low. That is a culture we can change one-by-one.
For younger girls, try the GoldieBlox kit options that fuses traditionally girlie marketing and content (pink, unicorns, princesses and castles) with challenges and materials to build their spatial skills, engineering principles, and confidence in problem-solving.
4. Natural Bath Kit
Most young girls don’t recognize how many chemicals and paraben-based products there are on the market and how their bathing habits contribute to environmental damage. As girls grow up, everything from celebrities to magazine ads influence their choices, including their bathroom and hygiene choices. But eco-conscious products rarely make the advertising cut.
Make sure she’s living the healthiest life possible by ensuring she’s using natural products and shampoos without harsh sulfates. Supply some natural sea sponges so she can toss out her loofah (that often adds to micro-plastic pollution and water contamination). Try a pair of bath mitts if she feels weird about using sponges or their texture; they’re also great for exfoliation so pair with a nice salt-based scrub for complementary gifts! Most importantly, teach her to pay attention to the ingredient label, so she knows what she’s putting on her body and to be conscious of the waste she’s producing. If children are aware of the concept of carbon footprints from an early age, there is a chance that as a generation, they may be much less wasteful than us.
5. Body Care Packages
Sometimes, a unique and customized care package is the greatest gift a girl can get. Aside from something monogrammed, toss in some healthy options for her so that she can be introduced to better, and less processed ingredients. Perhaps some of her favorite dark chocolate bars? Definitely go to LUSH and grab some of their exotic smelling, all-natural, vegan, non animal tested soaps, bath bombs, or solid conditioning bars so she can appreciate the beautiful, individuality of natural ingredients. You can order her some of Maxim’s organic cotton tampons or natural pads, or grab her and some friends some of Be Prepared Period’s To Go Kits, so they’re never caught surprised and have supplies like emergency tampons and hygiene wipes, always on-hand, wrapped up in a cute sequin purse.
We hope this list has helped to get your empowering gift idea options going. Let us know if you come up with some of your own…we’d love to hear them!
To find out more, click the links below:
Care Packages by BPP: www.bepreparedperiod.com/period-kits/period-kit-to-go
Pop Up Vagina Book: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1187950815/vaginas-and-periods-101-a-pop-up-book/description
Rebel Girls Storybooks: www.rebelgirls.co/products/good-night-stories-for-rebel-girls
DIY Peppermint Lib Scrub: https://blog.maximhy.com/2012/08/17/6-at-home-diy-summer-spa-remedies/