Definition of Girl
1. A female child
2. A young or relatively young woman

I’ve decided that it’s not appropriate to call grown women girls. When we say boy, we think the equivalent is girl. When we say guy, we think still girl. Why is that ladies shy away from using the terms “woman”, “lady”, and “gal”? Why do we default to girl in society? I presume that it’s just what comes to mind first. However, I personally do not like this trend. It’s not degrading but it’s not…fulfilling? I personally feel like I honor fellow ladies better by ridding of the term girl when identifying myself or others that are grown adults. Gal is a bit broad, but colloquially means girl or woman, so in a casual setting, it’s my preference over girl. Let me clarify that there is no huge soapbox reason, and that I do not need to shout this message from the rooftops. It’s a choice I’ve made based on observation. I choose to ban girl because I feel there are better options.

This coincides with my thoughts on using Ms. for grown women instead of Miss. It boils down to respect. Unless it is a person’s personal preference to be addressed as “miss”, I use “Ms.” I’m honoring the fact that she is independent: her own person, and no longer directly under the authority of her parents. I’m acknowledging that I respect her opinions and converse with her as AN ADULT. There is an unspoken reverence to her maturity by using these terms. And hopefully, that empowers her to do great things, speak great things, and feel confident in herself. 🙂