Girls Can movement helps break gender boundaries

“‘Girls can’t,’” Ellen DeGeneres says into the camera. “Sometimes you hear it, but more often, you feel it.”

In the video, DeGeneres is joined by Katy Perry, P!nk, Janelle Monae, Queen Latifah, Becky G and Sofia Vergara, all chanting “girls can’t” into the camera. The words blend in with each other to the point that they are undecipherable and become background noise as each woman faces the camera.

Then, it shifts to Queen Latifah, and all the “can’ts” are silenced. She leans forward.

“Yeah, girls can.”

It’s been two years since the release of Covergirl’s video announced the launch of the “Girls Can” campaign, a movement seeking to promote female empowerment and intelligence. The goal is to challenge the stereotype that women must only live up to standards of physical beauty.

More specifically, the campaign encourages women to get involved in fields where they are underrepresented, such as engineering and computer science. So far, it has worked with the nonprofit organization Girls Who Code to fund 500 new clubs to help close the gender gap in STEM subjects.

Senior Nandita Mohan said the movement is encouraging for girls around the world, but  that Covergirl should take more steps to “publicize this movement so that it gets to different types of socio-economic backgrounds.”

  Covergirl is also launching a video series produced by journalist and documentarian Soledad O'Brien. Featuring teen rapper Becky G, chess player Rochelle Ballantyne and military veteran Tina Garnanez, the series focuses on powerful women who have defied the odds to pursue their dreams.

Junior Anya Herne said that the women featured in the campaign are a huge inspiration.

“Femininity has been, to a certain extent, viewed as a weaker trait that surrounds women, and Covergirl is transforming it into a strength, which is great,” Herne said. “These are the people who encourage other women to take a chance to gradually close the gender gap.”

Covergirl has spent $5 million over a span of five years for the movement, money sophomore Kristine Chow said has been well spent. Even so, she thinks the campaign can go in other, equally promising directions.

“I think Covergirl should look at the perspectives of both sexes,” Chow said. “They should see what both sides say about girls and try to show that gender roles exist [and should be combatted].”