Ask almost any young girl what she wants to be when she grows up and she’ll cheerfully respond “a princess.” It’s a natural reply given the amount of royalty-related role models girls see in movies, books, and television. But these beauty-obsessed damsels-in-distress aren’t doing daughters any favors. It’s no secret that girls need more strong, confident, and healthy role models. They need to see women working hard to achieve their goals in order to develop the self-belief and bravery to go after their own.
That’s why SisuGirls exists. Created in 2014 by Chloe Chick, SisuGirls is a Singapore-based organization dedicated to encouraging and inspiring girls to step into themselves and fully understand their enormous capabilities. “If we want a world where women have the confidence and the will to lead, we need girls to build their foundations of confidence and self-belief at a much earlier age,” says Chloe.
Sisu is a Finnish term which translates into “having guts” in English. It means taking risks, following your heart, being prepared to fall, and having the confidence and courage to pick yourself up and try again. SisuGirls is bringing this word to life through local programs (running! rock climbing! skateboarding!) and the recent launch of the SisuGirls Series, a line of books about fearless women to inspire young girls to dream big.
But why books? It’s simple: the stories we’re told when we’re young are the ones that stick with us for the rest of our lives. It’s why we can remember the plot lines to Cinderella and Rapunzel but not what we had for breakfast this morning. So why not choose stories of sisu over false fairytales? Fearless Frosty, the first book in the series, tells the story of professional mountain runner Anna Frost and the inspiring pursuit of her lifelong dream of playing sports for a living.
Anna, now 33, is passionate about sharing her story with as many young girls as possible. “Growing up I encountered several people who told me ‘you can’t.’ I want to try and change that; I want every girl to know they can. The book is not about running, but about encouraging girls to explore the world and themselves through whatever means possible.” The organization launched Fearless Frosty through an IndieGoGo campaign in early March and raised over $20,000 in less than ten days, proving the need for more books about girls with guts rather than glitter.
You can join the SisuGirls movement by liking them on Facebook, following them on Instagram, and supporting the Fearless Frosty campaign until April 16, 2015.
“Whatever it is, go after it, find the thing that makes you fly.
Because one thing is for certain: you will never know unless you try.”
– Fearless Frosty
