In this episode, I’m talking to Rae Pears about her incredible work with Girlhood Reclaimed, a community interest company challenging the misogynistic narratives that impact young women, girls and anyone who has been socialised into girlhood.

We dig into the reality of growing up in a world shaped by sexism and everyday misogyny shape girls’ lives in ways many adults don’t even realise. Rae shares why creating safe spaces for honest conversations is so important and how listening (really listening) to young people can make all the difference.

We also talk about body image, societal pressures, and why it’s time to stop telling girls to ‘just be more confident’ and start tackling the systems that make them doubt themselves in the first place.

If you care about making the world safer and more empowering for the next generation, this conversation is one you don’t want to miss.

Let’s get into it.

Trigger warnings:

Discussion about sexual violence, eating disorders, misogyny

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Girlhood Reclaimed

09:34 Understanding Misogyny and Its Impact on Young Women

12:44 The Role of Social Media in Shaping Experiences

15:40 Safety Work and Its Implications for Girls

18:43 Creating Spaces for Joy and Resistance

21:39 Body Image and Its Long-Lasting Effects

27:02 Body Positivity and Liberation

29:25 The Control of Dieting and Body Image

31:15 Navigating Body Image as Parents

32:50 Supporting Children Through Body Image Issues

34:17 Creating Open Conversations with Kids

36:47 Active Listening and Emotional Space

39:00 Challenging Internalised Misogyny

41:37 Normalising Conversations About Behaviour

44:34 Engaging with Community and Support

About Rae Pears and Girlhood Reclaimed:

My career started at 18 in youth and community work, where I very quickly began to realise my passion for working alongside women and girls, especially in the field of sexual and domestic violence. After having my three children, I began to move more into this field through voluntary work and eventually becoming a volunteer service coordinator for a women’s mental health helpline. Two years ago I began my MA in Women and Child Abuse, which led me to leave my role in on the Helpline and set up my own community interest company, Girlhood Reclaimed. At Girlhood Reclaimed we aim to disrupt the growing dominance of misogynistic narratives through feminist research, awareness training, and safe spaces for young women, girls and non-binary folk, supporting them to make sense of their experiences and reclaim joy in their girlhood.

Links:

Instagram: girlhood.reclaimed

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/girlhoodreclaimed.bsky.social

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/girlhood-reclaimed

Website: www.girlhoodreclaimed.com

Connect with Tamsin Broster

Hey, I'm your host and I hope you love this podcast as much as I do. I help women grow their business and career without keeping themselves small. Working on your confidence and self belief changes how you show up in the world but it's often something we just think we have or don't have. I show you how to tap into it and disrupt your inner critic so you can stop relying on other people to hype you up and make you feel good.

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Challenging Misogyny & Reclaiming Girlhood with Rae Pears