Are we to blame for girls thinking they are NOT brilliant!?

Within our everyday lives the messages we give out have a lasting impression – so at HR180 we want to encourage that the impressions we ALL leave are positive. In the wider world, are we falling short where the next generation is concerned – especially for girls?

Last week a US study found that girls as young as six years old believe that brilliance is a male trait. It says that gender stereotyping in their environment affects even small children, sowing the seed of damaging beliefs like brilliance or giftedness is more common in men.

Part of the research showed that though 5 year old girls are as likely as boys to associate brilliance with their own gender, at six years old boys chose people of their own gender as ‘really, really smart’ 65% of the time and girls chose their gender as ‘brilliant’ just 48% of the time. Previous research put forward that the reason that there is a low proportion of women in STEM fields might be down to the common but mistaken belief that ‘brilliance’ is key.

How sad is that? Your daughter, granddaughter, niece or that little girl who skips past your garden every morning on the way to nursery – what messages are they picking up which could be holding them back?

It is crucial that we ALL think about how we can support those women of the future through the messages we give out in our daily lives – including in our workplaces. By empowering the women in your organisation you will create role models and positive influencers out in the big, wide world. And you will strengthen your own workforce in doing so.

HR180 works with UK (and global) clients to help them develop their businesses through their people strategies. If you’d like to develop new ideas to empower your staff then talk to an amazing HR professional. Call 0113 287 8150 or reach out here.

Further reading from our blog:

Gender pay gap: a mum tax?

HR180 top tips for how to handle harassment at work

And from the Forward Ladies blog:

Gender Pay Gap Reporting: Your Responsibilities, The Timings And 5 Actions You Can Take Now