WomanWise
The WomanWise cards have been designed to support important, developmentally-appropriate, conversations with girls. Such conversations can also be part of strategies for working with many issues facing girls and young women, such as body image, self-esteem, depression, eating disorders, sexualisation and bullying, Through these highly relevant subjects, questions and juicy quotes the WomanWise cards are a powerful trigger for stories, questions, reflection, curiosity, awareness and learning which can help to name, heal and prevent many of these problems.
“A successful and happy adolescence entails hundreds of conversations about what matters, who you are and what you stand for.”
Steve Biddulph
The WomanWise cards support girls in:
- exploring who they are and where they have come from
- becoming more aware of feelings, boundaries and choices
- growing their understanding of connection, communication, empathy and assertiveness in relationships
- developing discrimination and awareness in relation to media, advertising and stereotypes
- experiencing healthy self-esteem and a positive relationship with their own body
- exploring beliefs, values and identity as part of a positive unfolding of their maturing selves and more!
While the WomanWise cards have been specifically created for girls aged 12 to 18, they can be used with women of any age. As human beings we are in an ongoing process of exploring identity and relationships, and defining who we are and what we stand for. During adolescence this process is especially intense and dynamic as we traverse powerful inner and outer changes, profound vulnerability, and test our new capacities, awareness and responsibilities.
“Cards like this are wonderful because it starts conversation and it actually guides you with the conversation…so invaluable, I think they’re just fantastic. Definitely a good resource to look at if you’re a parent and you’re looking for a tool to start having conversations with your daughter about growing up, being a woman, living in the world that we live in.”
Cath Hakanson
The WomanWise cards are a valuable conversational and reflective tool for women wishing to explore these issues.
The WomanWise Cards are a ‘strengths-based’ tool designed for use in both group work and for individual reflection or counseling sessions. At the heart of strengths-based practice is a focus on capacities, resources and hopeful possibilities rather than deficits, problems and issues. This approach highly values the strengths that each and every person has and seeks to mobilise those strengths for overcoming difficulties and creating health and wellbeing. These cards are suitable for classrooms and may be valuable for studying human development, social and emotional literacy, health and wellbeing, ethics, identity and so on.
The WomanWise cards may also be a useful exploration and preparation tool for groups of parents, teachers, youth workers, health workers, counsellors, mentors, retreat facilitators and pastoral care workers, in fact anyone who works with girls, or for their wellbeing.
As with any tool, facilitators and teachers are encouraged to preview the set before using, so they can choose whether to use the whole set or make a selection of cards, depending on the appropriate developmental stage of their group.
These 77 beautifully designed WomanWise Cards with a total of 382 questions are divided into 6 suits: My Self, My Body, My Mind, My Relationships, My Philosophy and My Future.
Each card has a range of questions whose purpose is to prompt contemplation, conversation and connection. The cards can be used in myriad ways, and are both fun and intentional.
“Stories are like medicine. They have such power; they do not require that we do, be, act anything—we need only listen.” Clarrisa Pinkola Estes
In telling our stories we communicate our sense of who we are, where we are from, and how we are similar to, and different from, those around us.
Telling our stories and listening to those of others fosters:
- awareness of unique qualities and strengths
- appreciation of difference
- understanding values
- an emerging sense of what healthy risk-taking might look like
- appreciation of people’s quirks and humour
- empathy and compassion
- acknowledgement of role-models
- connection with nature and
- gentle challenges to peer pressure.
“I liked listening to other people, their stories and how they felt about things. The openness with everyone in the group was great.” Martina, 15
The Woman Wise Cards are $72.50 (inc. GST) and are available here.
