What It Really Means to Fight Like a Girl

We hear the phrase "like a girl" tossed around a lot—and too often, it has a negative connotation. Run like a girl means trip and flail your arms around. Fight like a girl means slapping someone with weak wrists. When several adult women, and even a man and a boy were asked what it means to run, throw or fight like a girl, they did just that. The latest company to release a female empowerment ad, Proctor and Gamble's newest advertisement, part of Always's #LikeAGirl campaign, is attempting to challenge these stereotypes.

What's really troubling is seeing the differing reactions between adult women and young girls—while young girls think that running and fighting like a girl means pushing yourself physically, running fast and throwing a killer punch, the adult women view the phrase in a more negative light. As one girl says: "it sounds like you're trying to humiliate someone." Saying that someone does something "like a girl" shouldn't mean that they're weak. It should mean they're strong. The women featured in the #LikeAGirl campaign realized their error—let's hope the rest of the world isn't too far behind.

Watch the ad here.