Girls State Proves More Women Should Be In Politics
What if democracy were shaped by young women? In Girls State, the documentary follows young girls in the Girls State Program in Missouri. Directors of the documentary Boys State, Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine return to follow these young girls with widely different political beliefs as they navigate the program in building a democracy from scratch. With elections and a mock Supreme Court case hearing, the program engages young girls to learn about what it takes to become political leaders.
I absolutely loved everything about this documentary. It’s female-focused and showcases that more women belong in politics. The documentary focuses on a smaller group of girls — conservative Emily Worthmore, feminist Cecilia Barthin, Faith Glasglow, Tochi Ihekona, Brooke Taylor, Nisha Murali, and liberal-leaning Maddie Rowan. You might expect there to be heaps of drama considering how hot topic issues like abortion and LGBTQ+ rights can become polarizing. However, that’s not the case at all. Much of the girls featured in the documentary all develop sweet friendships with one another. This is especially nice to watch considering how often women are pitted against each other. I particularly loved seeing Murali and Taylor’s friendship throughout the documentary. It feels so genuine that these two young women cultivated a warm friendship and even supported one another when they both ran for a Supreme Court Justice position.
Viewers can easily anticipate watching the election process — the ups, pitfalls, and the support these girls receive. These women are incredibly intelligent and inspiring no matter what your personal belief is. They articulate their ideas well and aren’t afraid to convey it without being aggressive. Although vastly different, they all share the same interest and are strong-minded towards their political ambitions. I love watching their personal growth with Nurali breaking out of her shell and Ihekona putting herself out there for the Attorney General position. Moss and McBaine did an excellent job at selecting these girls to focus on and all their accomplishments. A rewarding moment comes from Worthmore winning a scholarship at the end of the documentary after losing the Governor election.
As much as the documentary is about their journey within the program, one of the most important issues brought up was the jarring difference between the Girls State and Boys State programs. Though the programs aren’t meant to be compared, many of the girls kept noticing the unfair differences, which led to Worthmore writing an investigative piece about it. I do wish the documentary could’ve gone more into what the specific differences were. They do state the general rules the girls follow that the boys do not, like a dress code and buddy system, but the girls’ frustration is only just mentioned and not further explained. In a similar note, the program seemed to emphasize a “girl boss” energy that comes off as dismissive of talking about the very thing these girls are there to do — engage in political and civil discourse. Even Worthmore gets excited when other girls actually want to have a political discussion. It is unfortunate to see the limits placed on them within the program compared to Boys State. More so, Worthmore’s published headline on her piece diminished the core issue which upsets her, but it does lead to changes within the program in the following years.
The overall messaging and lessons in Girls State on how to be resilient, strong, honest, and open-minded are the most important outcome of the documentary. Though the program itself was both empowering and limiting, it proves aspiring women politicians from any background can become successful leaders and address the timely issues in today’s world. In the midst of barriers, the girls aren’t afraid to fight for what they believe, dismantle stereotypes, call out injustice and micro aggressions, and build a sense of community.
Girls State is streaming on Apple TV+.
