Have you ever truly considered the implications of the subliminal messages TV and 'popular culture' carry? How they influence not only our minds but the minds of our children??

Young girls [young boys included] are far too often presented with images of women who are not good role models. They may be popular, they may get attention from guys and they may even be physically good looking but what do any of those things actually mean when we truly consider them?? Physical beauty fades with time and seeking attention only makes us a prisoner to the approval of other people. So what do these women represent in the eyes of children who copy the way they dress, talk, dance and act? What messages are these 'idols' [whether they are doing it consciously or unconsciously is irrelevant] sending our children? These are very serious questions we all need to ask ourselves.

The greatest gift you can give your child is knowledge geared toward personal empowerment. You cannot impose your beliefs on them or tell them they have to act a certain way and expect this to work. All you can do is help to empower their minds in an effort to counter the negative influences they will undoubtedly encounter throughout their lives and then be there for them. Although this may not seem like it will make much of a difference. in a world lost in ignorance, the only true refuge is unadulterated knowledge.

With that said, let's see who can name all the women at the bottom of this image. To me, these are strong women that our children and, in particular, our daughters, should be educated about. Women that saw the system for what it was and challenged it, rather than served it, like the overwhelming majority of popular 'icons' and 'idols' do today.

*The names of the women listed below, from left to right, top to bottom are as follows;

Qiu Jin
Naomi Klein
Voltairine de Cleyre
Vilma Espín
Tawakkol Karman
Harriet Tubman
Hellen Keller