Play like a girl

Today a nation sat on the edge of its seat, and dared not breathe until collectively we cheered – that moment Poulin scored in overtime after a thrilling 2-0 comeback. And then we all collectively exhaled.

Yesterday, social media feeds were peppered with “play like a girl” memes, and in the days and weeks to come young girls will dream of scoring that goal in 2018, 2022 and beyond.

Today, in this moment in time “Play like a Girl” is seen as a compliment, but it hasn’t always been that way. We got here thanks to the women that came before, who demanded the right to play on the international stage – just like the boys. It wasn’t easy for the pioneers of this sport but they kept skating, they never lost sight of the goal, and they held tightly to the knowledge they had the fundamental right to play. These women will be celebrated, and rewarded as their legacy continues to grow as more and more girls realize: “I can do that”.

The hope of the Women & Politics London members is that someday we will see women’s presence and possibilities valued and reflected in the political arena. That as a community, we will nurture a hunger in girls and women for civic involvement, inspiring young women to think of political participation as something they can do – and do well. I hope we remember to celebrate the amazing women leaders we do have, those that came before them, knowing someday, thanks to their tireless work and amazing qualities, we will say with pride: “lead like a women”.

Congratulations to the Olympic champion women from Canada – you made us proud.

#Leadership #Sports #Hockey #Women #Gold #Olympics