Teach boys that girls are strong, smart
As a college-aged woman, I fear walking alone at night on campus. I fear not making the same salary as a male counterpart. I have been taught to think like this. I have been taught to believe that male predators will come after me for their own selfish desires, that they can override my opinions and have the final say.
My fear is not that I am provoking men based on my appearance. My fear is that men see themselves as superior to me, that I am weak and easy to take advantage of. My fear is that society has trained men to think this way, and now I (and many other women) am suffering the consequences.
We can change this perspective of women by teaching young boys that girls are just as strong, just as smart, and just as capable as they are. In turn, this will lead men to value their wives, coworkers, and neighbors as equals. They will no longer look down upon women as inferior, but rather as equal.
They will listen to her, treasure her, and be humble enough to let her lead. They will see her as powerful, not as an object.
Alexis Kincade, Fresno
This story was originally published December 3, 2015 at 8:04 AM with the headline "Teach boys that girls are strong, smart."