We interviewed Anne Ream and Randi Shafton of Girl360, a webzine dedicated to showing tween girls (9-12) role models of women and girls, historical and modern, to inspire them to excel.
What is the goal or goals of Girl360? Why is it needed?
Anne Ream: We created Girl360 to bring the stories of history's and today's most amazing women to the attention of a new generation of girls. Randi and I are very aware of the power of role models, because female role models have been so important to us in our own lives.
Discovering the story of an amazing woman or girl -- and seeing a glimpse of ourselves in that story -- can be the first step towards tapping into our own power. Tweens spend an average of 8 hours a day exposed to beauty and celebrity-driven media messages that are too often unhealthy and unattainable. Even positive role models are often "packaged" or "marketed." Randi and I thought that the real story would be a lot more interesting (and inspiring). Some of the world's most amazing women started out just like us: sometimes shy, often unsure and almost always challenged with figuring out who they wanted to be in a world that was busy telling them who they should be. We wanted to find their stories, and tell them in a way that really resonates for girls.
Why focus on tweens rather than older or younger girls?
Randi Shafton: I'm a Mom of tween girls and I am very aware of how receptive they can be to certain media and marketing messages. Anne and I both felt that tween girls, who are becoming more engaged in the media but have often not yet been fully exposed to its most negative messages, were really an ideal audience. In a sense, we hope that exposure to Girl360.net serves to inoculate girls from the problematic imagery that they will encounter a few years down the road. If we can seed pro-girl, pro-power messages now, it can make a real difference.
Anne Ream: That's a great question. We often say that Girl360 exists at the "intersection of meaningful and hip." Tween girls can be incredibly graphic and visual, and they have a language all their own. What Randi and I wanted to do was create a space that marries relevant and meaningful content to fresh design and tween-friendly language. We have a strong point of view and we are not afraid to say that we have an agenda: we want girls to come away from Girl360.net more aware of, and comfortable with, the idea of their own power. But we won't get them there unless we can talk to them on their own terms, through a site that looks and feels "right" to them.
As our CCG (Chief Creative Girl) I've had to really immerse myself in how girls think, talk and act. The other day I referred to Randi as my "BFF." The forty something man I was talking to looked at me rather blankly, but of course our tween target would have known exactly what I meant!
What inspired you to take on a project like this?
Randi Shafton: I want my daughters and all young girls to learn about bold and accomplished women. I want my son to grow up admiring such women – and yes, learning from and emulating them. All of our children should know that there are girls and women who dream and succeed. Daring and verve are not just for boys - these are qualities we all can tap into. Making that more possible for girls really was my inspiration.
Anne Ream: I am a great believer in the power of stories. I worked for many years as an advertising creative director, and in that capacity I saw firsthand how the stories we tell women and girls can change the way that women and girls see themselves. I wanted to take what I had learned in the ad world and unleash those skills on behalf of a feminist mission. I often say that "behind every great woman is a great girl, one who often discovered her own 'superpowers' after encountering a powerful female role model." Randi and really wanted Girl360 to exist so that we could make these encounters more possible.
Who are your personal role models?
Anne Ream: I've had too many amazing role models to even name -- I've always loved biography, so women like Eleanor Roosevelt, Gloria Steinem, Dolores Huerta, Katherine Graham, and Dorothy Allison have all have been influences. Their stories resonated for me in a way that was very personal. In learning about their lives, I discovered who I wanted to be.
My very first role model, however, was my grandmother. She lost her husband when she was not much older than I am now. At a very young age she instilled in me the importance of women's work. She often talked about the fact that her career as a pianist is what saved her from her grief over her widowhood. She believed that a woman needs to be passionately engaged in life within and outside of the home. And she was.
Randi Shafton: Eleanor Roosevelt is also one of the role models who had a profound influence on me. She was raised to be so much less than she ultimately became. I think her story is instructive for so many women and girls: don't let the messages that you are exposed to limit you. Dare to be different. Go out and change the world! Her life was a great example of a woman growing, changing and evolving. She was also a woman who valued her female friends greatly. That is very inspirational for me.
What have been your greatest challenges in this project? What are your greatest successes?
Randi: I can speak for both of us on the challenge part! Girl360 is a start-up and anyone who has ever created something like this will tell you that it takes a huge amount of energy, time and passion -- there literally are not enough hours in the day for us to do the things we want to do for girls. And the web never sleeps, so we are continually updating our content. One of the hardest things for us is saying "no" when a great idea pops up that isn't one that we can make happen right away. But we are very focused on our mission -- finding the stories of amazing women and girls -- so that helps us make good decisions.
Anne: I feel we've succeeded when our stories have struck a chord with women and girls. The other day, one of our Girl360 Moms wrote me to say that our site has "changed the way that her daughter sees herself -- and the way (in a good sense) that her daughter sees other girls." That response cut right to our Girl360 "reason for being." We each need to find our own power, and embrace and encourage power in other women. That for me is the definition of sisterhood, and that fact that this very young girl seemed to "get" that really moved me.
What were you like as girls? What were you passionate about?
Randi: I was an absolute tomboy, loved sports and the outdoors, and was curious about everything. In a lot of ways, I still am that girl.
Anne: I loved to read. In fact, I liked to read so much that as a tween I think I was rather awkward, bookish and shy. I've been overcompensating ever since.
What one thing do you want every girl to know?
Anne: Don't be afraid to disagree with people. Someday, that skill might help you change the world.
Randi: Dare to be exactly who you are.
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