When you hear the phrase “like a girl,” what do you think of? In a recent commercial for Always, several teen girls and a few boys are told to perform various physical activities, such as running, throwing and fighting “like a girl.” The common response was to execute these actions in a weak, half-hearted manner. Yet when young girls were asked to perform the exact same actions “like a girl,” they gave it their all. Watch what happens:

All too often the word “girl” is used as an insult to mean pathetic and weak. As a young girl it can be disheartening to hear this word used constantly with a negative connotation. The commercial comments on how during puberty the confidence level of many girls drops as they get older. When girls hear the phrase “like a girl” treated as something to be ashamed of, it can make girls feel like they will never be good enough because of their gender.

This commercial struck a personal chord with me. It brought back memories of all the times my gender was used as an insult. But one of the girls in the commercial had this to say about it:

“Yes, I kick like a girl, swim like a girl, and I walk like a girl. And I wake up in the morning like a girl because I am a girl, and that is not something that I should be ashamed of.”

I support Always’ goal to end the use of “like a girl” as an insult and instead use it as the director of the video stated as “a positive affirmation,” because being a girl is something to be proud of.