59 Ways to Help a Woman

1. Keep your word and follow through.
2. Tell her she’s beautiful.
3. Tell her she’s strong.
4. Honor her brain.
5. Be a good role model.
6. Become a mentor.
7. Listen to her (no really, stop talking and listen.)
8. Encourage her to dream and pursue her passions.
9. Know your rights and make sure she understands hers.
10. Vote for reproductive freedom.
11. Be kind and patient with yourself.
12. Be kind and patient with her.
13. Teach her to focus on a glass half full world.
14. Teach her to use her brains, not her body, to influence and persuade.
15. Make sure she reads. A lot.
16. Show her what she can accomplish when she sets her mind to it.
17. Spend time with her (no, not on Facebook.)
18. Share your journey so she doesn’t feel alone on the ride.
19. Don’t pretend your life is perfect.
20. Show her that vulnerability is powerful.
21. Don’t belittle her ambitions. Shine a light on them instead.
22. Tell her the truth.
23. Explain that the Truth will set her free.
24. Minimize her exposure to false advertising and negative media messages.
25. Treat your body with love and respect.
26. Encourage her to love and respect her body whatever her shape, size or ethnicity.
27. Encourage her to build firm boundaries.
28. Show her that saying ‘no’ can be a good thing.
29. Tell her that being a “good girl” ain’t all it’s cracked up to be.
30. Empower her to have an opinion and use her voice.
31. Make sure she understands that anything worth doing will bring up fear, but it’s a manageable companion.
32. Give her the tools to understand, accept and manage her fear.
33. Don’t compete with her. Collaborate.
34. Honor her for her differences. Don’t try to turn her into a copycat version of you.
35. Walk in her shoes for a day.
36. Give yourself a break.
37. Give her a break.
38. Tell her she will get through this. Really.
39. Encourage her, not just to think, but to feel.
40. Make her a priority.
41. Know your worth.
42. Know her worth.
43. Don’t let her underestimate her value and her ability to make a contribution.
44. Love her in the broken places.
45. Hold her when she’s sad.
46. Give her the space to mess up.
47. Coax her out of the box.
48. Support organizations that help and empower women.
49. Encourage her to be the heroine of her own life, and not the victim.
50. Let her know she’s brilliant. A splendid, bright light.
51. Encourage her to let go of the past and live in the present.
52. Be silly.
53. Be real.
54. Be honest.
55. Be brave.
56. Believe in her.
57. Tell her she’s special.
58. Tell her she’s blessed.
59. You are blessed, too.

©2012 Liz Dennery Sanders