Closing the Dream Gap
It is well documented that women still face gender inequality across various facets of society. Despite much progress, entrenched gender stereotypes continue to influence our behaviour, expectations, and aspirations. These biases permeate social media and help to shape the perceptions young girls have of themselves and their aspirations, resulting in a phenomenon called the dream gap. The dream gap is the space between young girls’ ambition and their full potential, hindered by what the world believes they’re capable of. By the time children are five, girls begin to see themselves as ‘less smart’ than their male peers. These beliefs can carry on till young adulthood, and affect young women’s sense of self as well as their career choices.
Empowering our young women
Toorak College is a progressive all-girls school that embraces the reality that girls are highly capable and can achieve in all areas of our society equally. It is our role as educators to empower girls and to give them the foundations of strength and resilience to perceive themselves as successful, aspirational, and confident individuals. In our inclusive, positive, open, and inspiring all-girls environment, we have the luxury of always saying 'I can do anything' and 'I can fail and it is OK because failure is only an opportunity to develop and learn'. We work towards breaking down the gender stereotypes, biases, and traditional models of learnt behaviour that can limit girls' belief in their own potential.
Our teaching and learning models ensure students are supported in questioning and analysing the world around them, encouraging them to be critical, creative thinkers and doers. We support students to develop courage and self-confidence, because being themselves and believing in themselves is empowerment. This belief and confidence is also reflected in the ideas and conversations embedded within the artworks produced by our students. They are guided and nurtured to investigate their place within the world from a personal, honest and determined perspective, free of judgement or discrimination. Their artworks are full of potential and give clues as to where they have come from, where they are, and where they are going.
The importance of women in leadership
It is crucial for the positive progress of our world for women to play a pivotal role in all areas, especially leadership. We need to challenge inequality in its various forms: the gender pay gap, healthcare and childcare models, government policies, and gender stereotypes, among others. By empowering our young women to be leaders and strong and courageous role models, we create an environment of change that can and must be at the forefront of our education system. Appointments, such as gender equality campaigner Samantha Mostyn as Australia's new Governor General, go some way towards addressing the ongoing power imbalances, as Mostyn becomes yet another strong female Australian role model who inspires and leads others.
There’s also a global movement aimed at closing the dream gap. The concept of a dream gap has become more well known in recent years due to the Barbie Dream Gap Project. This project, launched in 2019 by global toy company Mattel, aims to break internalised gender stereotypes and help girls realise their full potential and see themselves in different roles in our society.
How to close the dream gap
Closing the dream gap is about all this and more. For women to reach their full potential in a world that has been dominated by men, we need a new way of dreaming: a new way of living and seeing. We need to focus on the belief that young women can be who they want to be and that championing opportunities for women is crucial for progress, innovation, and a better world for us all.
We must endeavour to turn the conversation from 'I can't' to 'I can', to create a growth mindset in our classrooms, and to encourage our girls to never give up and to support those around them. These are things that we can do and already do to ensure tomorrow is a space where all women can realise the dream of who they want to be and how to chase their dreams. We are lucky to have a place like Toorak College, where the dreaming is real.