"Picture a 12-year-old girl who looked 18, towering over classmates, grappling with a changing body that seemed to have a mind of its own. That girl was me. I was strong, athletic and competitive at a time when female strength was often seen as unfeminine. I remember the sideways glances, the whispers, the constant feeling of not fitting in - not with the girls, not with the boys, not even in my own skin."
"As I reflect on my journey, I can't help but think about the times I was told I was "too loud," had "too many opinions," or simply didn't follow the expectations set for girls. It was a constant battle between being true to myself and fitting into the mold society had created for me. And you know what? Our research shows this struggle persists for girls today."
The founder of Ruling Our eXperiences (ROX) has researched the lives of more than 50,000 girls across the United States since 2006. Early puberty and visible physical maturity caused social isolation and body-image anxiety for some girls, combining athletic pride with pressure to conform. Many girls are criticized for being outspoken or having opinions, creating tension between authenticity and fitting societal gender norms. Recent data from The Girls' Index of over 17,000 fifth- through twelfth-grade girls found that 67% do not express disagreement or their thoughts to be liked, indicating persistent silencing.
Read at BuzzFeed
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