In every debate round I’ve ever been in, there’s been one constant: the boys never hesitate to speak over the girls, even when they’re dead wrong.
Let’s be honest.
Despite the fact that girls are out here perfecting their arguments, citing Supreme Court precedents, and color-coding their notes, they’re still being interrupted, overlooked, or underestimated in classrooms, competitions, and councils. And it’s not because we aren’t smart or prepared, it’s because we’ve been taught to shrink, to soften, to be “nice.” Meanwhile, the boys? Rewarded for being assertive. Loud. “Natural leaders.”
It’s giving double standard.
A 2023 report from the American Association of University Women found that women hold just 28% of executive roles in the legal field and make up only 32% of high-level political positions globally. And when it comes to high school leadership? The pipeline starts to break early, with girls often dropping out of debate, avoiding student government, or never being encouraged to speak up in the first place.
The bias starts young. Just ask any girl who’s been labeled “bossy” for doing the exact same thing her male peer was praised for.
“I used to second-guess everything I said in class,” Maya Torres, a fellow debater from California, said. “Even when I knew I was right, I didn’t want to sound like I was showing off.”
That self-doubt doesn’t come from nowhere. It’s a result of a system that tells girls — especially girls of color — that their ideas are too loud, too emotional, too much. But guess what? That “too much” energy? It’s exactly what leadership needs.
We need girls in debate because they ask the hard questions. We need girls in law because they rewrite the rules. We need girls in leadership because they build movements, not just resumes.
So, what can schools do? Start by actively encouraging girls to join leadership clubs, debate teams, and mock trial. Call out bias when it happens, whether it’s a teacher overlooking a raised hand or a student speaking over someone else. Offer mentorship, not just opportunities, because it’s hard to envision yourself as a leader if you’ve never seen one who looks like you.
And to the girls reading this: speak up anyway. Take up space anyway. Be “too much” anyway.
Because the world doesn’t need another echo of the status quo: it needs your voice, your leadership, your vision.
