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| American Girl© Gwen Thompson |
While researching for this blog I found the following, “American Girl's Latest Doll is Homeless”. In 2009 the “homeless doll” was available for one year as part of the American Girl – Girl of the Year collection. The American Girl©collection is famous for providing dolls that represent “every girl.” The Girl of the Year introduces “a brand-new character with an inspirational story of what it means to be an American girl today” (cite). My feelings were mixed when I discovered “Gwen Thompson”. On the one hand I was excited that young girls had the opportunity to gain empathy for the plight of children experiencing homelessness. On the other, I was saddened and distressed by the fact that this doll represented "what it means to be an American girl today." I could not find information on how much of the proceeds from “Gwen” went to homeless causes; nor, do I know much about “Gwen’s” story line. What I did learn was the average cost of an American Girl© doll is $100. I find it ironic that "Gwen" was financially out of reach of all the girls it was designed to represent.
The story of the doll prompted my thinking about girls and women who experience homelessness. The statistics are astounding:
· 84% of homeless families are led by females under the age of 24 (cite)
· 66% were violently abused by a caretaker before the age of 18 (cite)
· 60% have not received a high school diploma (cite)
· 44% of homeless mothers were homeless as children (cite)
· 43% were sexually molested as children (cite)
Though bleak, the story has hope. Women who complete high school earn about $100 more per week than those without a high school diploma. Their weekly earnings double if they receive a bachelor’s degree (cite). Assisting and encouraging young women to complete their high school diploma increases the likelihood of earning a life sustaining wage and decreases the chances of poverty (cite). Education does not address all of the risk factors mentioned above; however, it is a place to start when looking at changing the landscape of homelessness.
Effecting change can start with changing the life of a girl.
Education is a place to start but at which end of education? The division and separation is apparent with the homeless doll. Those who have the education or the parents to support this purchase of a 100.00 doll that is presumably homeless have the potential to influence their child's perspective on how to address or take homelessness. If a rich person buys this doll but fails to educate their child that this is not just a play thing well how extensive can the changes be with the exception of the self-motivated and strong willed individual who grows up and realizes that her doll meant something..... just a few thoughts, where do we start?
ReplyDeleteEducation is both a means to an end and an end unto itself. It provides the prospect of knowing for the sake of knowing and the tool to move through different opportunities. The purchase of the doll has the potential to open the door to new knowledge. A young woman, regardless of financial status, who is self-motivated and empathetic, is empowered to be a change-agent for others. However, more importantly, she has the ability to make choices for her future. A place to start is educating our girls on how to access their skills. Is this the only starting point? Probably not; but, it is a start.
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