The ManicaPost
Dr Mazvita Machinga —
The challenges facing children in the 21st century are immense and will need to be faced if we are to achieve the goal of child protection for all. While both boys and girls suffer from various challenges, this article will focus on the girl child. I am doing this because on October 11, we commemorated the international day of the girl child.
The International Day of the Girl Child is celebrated on 11 October, a day designated by the United Nations for promoting the rights of girls, and addressing the unique challenges they face. What did you do for your girl child on this day? I want to look at the mental and psychological implications of stigmatizing the girl child.
While progress may have been made Zimbabwe and other countries in honouring the dignity of the girl child, there is still more work to be done. The concept of child protection is often a distant dream to many families and communities and especially when it comes to the girl child.
What we are seeing is that the very structures of society tend to negate the attempts to alleviate the suffering of the girl child. We have heard and seen instances where child marriages are increasing and the prevalence rate of sexual abuse against the girl child is increasing. This is not good news at all.
This article is coming from my experience in working with communities and also as a psychotherapist that listens to stories of children and families. While there has been significant progress in improving the plight of the girl child in many communities, I am highlighting specific issues that they still face.
I have noted that the girl children are still subjected to multiple forms of oppression, exploitation, and discrimination due to their gender. This results in them having low self-esteem and a sense of worthlessness. Low self-esteem can be a result of negative life experiences of being discriminated just because you are a girl.
Self-esteem is basically the way we think about ourselves, whether it’s high, low or somewhere in between, and it can have some pretty huge effects on our lives especially if the self-esteem is low. When the girl child is stigmatized because of her sex, there can be grave effects to their lives.
For instance, the girl child who may grow up with low self-esteem can have problems in relationship building and confidence in herself. The other danger for a girl is that if you can’t believe you’re good enough, how can you believe a loving partner could choose you?
Low self-esteem can make girls settle for relationships in which they may be treated in a way that matches their beliefs about themselves.
Research has found that regardless of their self-esteem, girls tend to assume that other people see them in a similar way to how they see themselves. For example, if a girl thinks she is cool, attractive and smart then she is likely to assume that other people also see her that way. Another challenge is that low self-esteem can lead to fear &anxiety. Those who suffer from low self-esteem experience extreme fear and anxiety frequently.
Believing that there is something innately wrong with themselves and will not find it easy to demonstrate their capabilities. This just confirms their own feelings of inadequacy, incompetence, being undeserving or unlovable and this is not good at all. This can even lead to suicidal ideation and having no purpose in life. Do the right thing appreciate your girl child, highlight and acknowledge their strengths and their achievements.
I am recommending that as you think of girl children in your life, may you assist by acknowledging their capabilities. For instance, just start by telling her you are good enough to go for that job, or do great in class and so forth. Help them challenge any negative self-beliefs. Homes, schools and communities are key places for a girl child to have healthy esteem, thus, let us desist from stigmatizing the girl child.
Help the girl children feel good about themselves. Help your girl child to focus on the things they can change. There’s no point wasting energy thinking about things that you can’t change. Also help your girl child to surround herself with supportive people. She should not hang around people who discriminate or bring her down.
If low self-esteem is affecting your life in a negative way and the life of your girl child, it’s definitely worthwhile talking to someone about it. This could be a trusted friend, family member, doctor or mental health professional.
Act now and get the necessary help before it turns into something more serious psychological and emotional problems.
Dr Mazvita Machinga PhD is a trained and qualified Psychotherapist, and mental health consultant. For more help contact 0778838410 or 0771 754 519 email [email protected]
