Parenting Pointers: One Dad's View on Empowering Girls

I recently had the chance to interview Sanjay Nambiar, creator of Super Duper Princess Heroes. Through the Super Duper Princess Heroes, Sanjay hopes to inspire girls to cultivate the super hero within, as the brand slogan proclaims: “Be You. Be Powerful. Be A Super Duper Princess Hero!” By combining cuteness with strength, charm with independence, and fancy outfits with dazzling super powers, Sanjay hopes to motivate his daughters and girls around the world to:
·       Have a strong sense of self, individuality, and pride;
·       Cultivate social confidence and emotional intelligence;
·       Identify with stronger female role models in children’s popular literature;
·       Take care of themselves and the world around them; and
·       Find their inner “Super Heroes”.

Why did you decide to start Super Duper Princess Heroes?

I want my daughters, who are nine-years-old now, as well as girls around the world, to have better role models! Too many of the female characters in the books my daughters used to read were passive, weak, and just waiting to be saved. Boys have super heroes in literature who save the world. Girls don’t really have similar role models to the same extent. That’s why we need the Super Duper Princess Heroes!


What sets the Princess Heroes apart from other positive female role models?

The Super Duper Princess Heroes combine cuteness with strength, charm with independence, and fancy outfits with dazzling super powers. It’s no longer about choosing between princesses and heroes. With SDPH, girls finally have characters who are both! Also, our characters are incredibly diverse and international. Girls around the world can experience our stories and games and be inspired by characters who actually look like them.


Why do you think it’s important for fathers and other male role models to inspire girls?

When girls see men involved in the girl power zeitgeist, it conveys a significant sense of collaboration and inclusiveness. It’s not about girls vs. boys. It’s about helping kids be their best, about creating a better world for everyone. When girls are inspired by fathers and other male role models, it shows them that men have responsibility in this paradigm and care just as much as women. That’s a wonderful example to establish for future generations!


How do you encourage and empower your daughters on a daily basis?

I always tell my daughters that they can do anything boys can do, that they are powerful and independent and don’t need to wait around to be saved! Also, my wife and I are full collaborators in parenthood, and I make sure my daughters see me treat her with the utmost respect and as a peer in all regards. If my daughters see their mother as an empowered and courageous role model, and as a woman who I look up to, then that will give them enduring encouragement to become empowered women themselves!