The world outside is waiting for us to take hold of it, and for us to bend and twist and change it, if only we have the courage and bravery to do so. You see men succeeding and taking the world in their hands everywhere–from inspirational speakers like Martin Luther King, Jr. to scientists like Albert Einstein even to singers like Pharrell Williams today. However, if you noticed, all of these people are men. Where are all the women? And, of course, there have been many, many influential women who have made a huge difference in the world, but they are far outnumbered by the amount of men. Why is this? Why are men stepping out of their comfort zone more often than women?

The answer is simple: bravery. Studies show that men are likely to apply for a job if they only reach 60% of the expectations. However, most women will only apply for a job if they meet 100% of the expectations. This is because, even from a young age, women aren’t taught to be brave. They’re taught to be perfect. Girls are taught to smile and get straight A’s, but taking risks? That’s out of the question for most. Boys, on the other hand, are taught to be brave. They’re taught to take risks. And, in the end, taking risks really does pay off.

Have you noticed while sitting in class in anywhere else, it’s usually a boy who asks a question. Or the loudest and the most annoying person turns out to be a boy. Or even the one who makes the lame jokes or the most goofy person in most cases turns out to be a boy. We all wished at one point we were that person. Why is that girls are usually the quiet ones when the boys are the loudest?.

According to the world’s expectations, Girls are supposed to be popular, skinny, pretty, dependant and turn out to be the perfect housewife. In most movies, girls are depicted as the  “perfect” character who is dependant on boys while the guy is brave, reckless–and in the end, successful. About 70% of advertisements are about how girls can be more attractive by having perfect hair or having the perfect toned and acne free skin or even having the best figure. The moment a girl walks into a makeup store, the most frequent question asked by the salesperson would be if they want a product to make their skin flawless. However, that’s not what girls are all about. Being a girl doesn’t mean having the perfect skin, the perfect hair, the perfect grades or having the perfect body. Being a girl means to be brave, strong and willing to explore the world.

Nobody’s perfect. Everyone has their own flaws.We cannot change our past, but we can change our future. We all need to accept our flaws and pass on the message to everyone. Each and every girl must be be taught bravery and not being “perfect”. Girls should be taught that being brave is to love and accept themselves no matter what. Girls should be taught that they should defend themselves and protect the ones they love–not just the other way around. Girls should be taught that there are no limitations and can be anyone they want to be. Girls should be taught to be unique and not to always be accepted by the society. Girls should be taught to take risks. Girls all around the world should realize that they are equal to boys and must grab the opportunity when seen. If this message is spread worldwide, there would be strong, independant, brave and successful women all around the world with strong voices and opportunities. There would be more girls taking risks, following the footsteps of those before them. Sexism wouldn’t exist. The percentage of women in   fortune 500 CEOS would increase. Women would get equal pay wages. Sexual assaults would greatly decrease. There would be more women holding political power and the percentage of women who are in Congress would greatly increase. There would be more women engineers. In the end, there would be a world of equality, peace and harmony.