Teach girls bravery, not perfection | Reshma Saujani

Summary

Reshma Saujani shares her personal journey of running for Congress in 2012, a bold but unsuccessful bid that taught her the value of bravery over perfection. She highlights how girls are often socialized to avoid risk and seek perfection, while boys are encouraged to be brave. Saujani's experience inspired her to found Girls Who Code, an organization aimed at teaching young women to embrace imperfection and persevere through challenges. She advocates for fostering bravery in girls, which can lead to innovation, leadership, and a better future for everyone.

Takeaways

• 🚀 Reshma Saujani ran for Congress in 2012, stepping out of her comfort zone after years of being behind the scenes in politics.
• 🏆 Despite raising $1.3 million and receiving major media attention, she lost the race with only 19% of the vote.
• 👩‍💻 Reshma highlights that girls are often socialized to seek perfection, while boys are encouraged to be brave and take risks.
• 🧠 Studies show that bright girls tend to give up more quickly on difficult tasks than boys, despite outperforming boys academically.
• 💼 Women tend to apply for jobs only when they meet 100% of qualifications, while men apply if they meet just 60%.
• 💡 Reshma argues that the 'bravery deficit' holds women back from excelling in fields like STEM, where risk-taking is crucial.
• 👩‍🎓 In 2012, she founded 'Girls Who Code' to teach girls to embrace bravery and imperfection through coding.
• ⚙️ Coding requires perseverance, trial and error, and learning from failure, which helps girls overcome their fear of imperfection.
• 🌍 Girls who have learned to be brave have gone on to create impactful projects, including apps for social good and innovative tech solutions.
• 🎯 Reshma stresses the need to raise girls to be brave early on, not to seek perfection, so they can help build a better world.

Q & A

What motivated the speaker to run for Congress despite the odds?

The speaker wanted to make a difference and disrupt the status quo. She felt running for Congress was her way to do that, even though pollsters and others thought it was a risky or foolish decision.

Why does the speaker believe women are often less likely to take risks in their careers?

The speaker argues that women are socialized to be perfect from a young age, while boys are encouraged to take risks. This results in women being overly cautious and avoiding situations where they might fail or not be perfect.

How does the speaker contrast the behavior of boys and girls in challenging situations?

The speaker mentions that girls often give up quickly when faced with difficulty, while boys see challenging situations as opportunities and tend to redouble their efforts.

What is the 'bravery deficit' the speaker refers to?

The 'bravery deficit' refers to the lack of encouragement for girls to be brave and take risks, which leads to underrepresentation of women in fields like STEM, leadership roles, and other areas where taking risks is essential.

How does coding help girls develop bravery, according to the speaker?

Coding involves trial and error, requiring perseverance and acceptance of imperfection. This process helps girls become comfortable with making mistakes and builds their bravery.

What example does the speaker give to illustrate girls’ fear of imperfection in coding?

The speaker shares a story of a student who deletes her code because it isn’t perfect. Instead of showing her progress, she would rather present a blank screen, illustrating the fear of not getting it right.

What surprising behavior does the speaker note in girls struggling with coding assignments compared to boys?

When boys struggle, they tend to say, 'There's something wrong with my code,' while girls say, 'There's something wrong with me,' reflecting a deeper sense of personal inadequacy.

What impact does the speaker believe teaching girls bravery will have on society?

The speaker believes that teaching girls to be brave will lead them to pursue their dreams and solve important problems, driving innovation and benefiting the economy and society as a whole.

What are some examples of projects created by girls in the speaker’s coding program?

Examples include a game called Tampon Run to challenge menstruation taboos, an app to help Americans get to the polls created by a Syrian refugee, and an algorithm to help detect cancer created by a 16-year-old girl.

How has the speaker’s program, Girls Who Code, grown since it started in 2012?

Girls Who Code started with 20 girls in 2012 and has grown to teach 40,000 girls across all 50 U.S. states, partnering with major tech companies to embed coding classes in their offices.