Rising Strong: How Empowering Young Womxn Transforms Schools, Communities, and Futures

"She’s just being dramatic."
"Teenage girls are so emotional."
"She’s too loud, too bossy, too much."

These are the words that shape how society talks about girls — especially adolescent girls. These labels don’t just shame expression; they shrink potential. And when combined with structural inequality, poverty, and generational trauma, many girls begin to internalize a single, toxic belief:
"I am not enough."

At School of Hard Knocks (SOHK), we see a different truth every day.

We see girls who are more than enough. Girls who carry entire households on their backs. Girls who show up — even when their world is falling apart. Girls who want more, but don’t always know how to ask for it.

That’s why we created NxtGenWomxn — a 6-session intervention that uses the principles of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), group support, and real talk to build resilience, mental health literacy, and self-worth in adolescent girls across Cape Town’s most under-resourced schools.

Because when a girl knows her worth, everything changes.

The Silent Struggles Girls Face in South Africa

In many of the schools we work in, girls are facing an onslaught of challenges:

• Gender-based violence in their homes, communities, and relationships

• Caregiving responsibilities far beyond their years

• Societal pressure to look a certain way, act a certain way, succeed quietly

• Early sexualization, shame, and stigma around their bodies

• Mental health challenges like anxiety, depression, and self-harm with little to no access to support

• Limited role models or platforms to safely express who they are and what they need

And yet… they still show up. They still hope. They still hold dreams.

But hope without support can only go so far.

What Makes NxtGenWomxn Different

This programme isn’t about making girls more compliant or well-behaved. It’s about making them more whole. We blend:

💬 Group Dialogue

Where girls speak freely about identity, pressure, self-image, relationships, trauma, and future dreams. No judgment. Just real, raw truth.

🧠 DBT Tools

Borrowing from Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, we introduce life-changing skills like:

• Distress tolerance

• Emotional regulation

• Radical acceptance

• Mindfulness
  These tools don’t just help girls cope — they help them lead.

💓 Validation and Belonging

We create a space where being "too much" becomes being just right. Where emotions aren’t dismissed — they’re honoured.

👭 Peer Connection

Most healing happens in relationship. We foster bonds between participants to create support networks that last beyond the final session.

Top 6 Lessons We Teach — and Why They Matter

Here’s a glimpse into the core lessons of NxtGenWomxn and the truths behind them.

1. “Your Feelings Are Valid”

So many girls are told they’re “too sensitive” or “too emotional.” We flip the script.
We teach that emotions are not only natural — they are information.

💡 Why it matters: Emotional suppression is a root cause of self-harm, rage, and numbness. Naming emotions gives girls agency and helps prevent destructive coping patterns.

2. “Your Body Is Yours”

We talk openly about body image, self-touch, consent, boundaries, and safety.
We teach that pleasure isn’t shameful, and that saying no is powerful.

💡 Why it matters: Girls often have little control over how their bodies are perceived, discussed, or even treated. Empowering girls to own their bodies is step one to ending gender-based violence.

3. “You Are Not Alone”

In every session, we normalize struggle. We normalize therapy. We normalize the messy middle.

💡 Why it matters: Isolation is one of the most dangerous experiences for young people. When a girl knows she’s not alone, her resilience increases — exponentially.

4. “You Can Sit With Discomfort Without Breaking”

Distress tolerance is one of the cornerstones of our work. We teach that intense emotions won’t last forever, and that breathing, pausing, grounding, and even naming the pain can change your reaction to it.

💡 Why it matters: Without tools, many girls either explode outward (fights, rage, shutdown) or implode inward (self-harm, suicidal ideation). DBT gives them a third option: ride the wave.

5. “Your Voice Matters — Even When It Shakes”

We practice standing up. Literally. Girls take turns speaking, advocating for their needs, saying “no,” setting boundaries, and asserting opinions — even when it’s uncomfortable.

💡 Why it matters: Girls are often taught to “play small” to avoid attention or judgment. We teach them to take up space — unapologetically.

6. “You Get to Dream Big”

We close every NxtGenWomxn cohort with goal-setting. But not just about careers — about identity. Who do you want to be? What do you want to feel more of? What will you no longer tolerate?

Why it matters: When a girl connects to her future self, her decision-making shifts from survival to intention.

Why This Work Is Urgent

Let’s be clear: South Africa is in a crisis of gendered violence, teen pregnancy, and poor access to youth mental health support.

If we don’t intervene now — with empathy, education, and empowerment — we risk losing an entire generation of girls who might survive but never thrive.

The cost of ignoring their pain is too high.

The reward for supporting their power? Immeasurable.

What Schools and Communities Can Do

Even if you don’t run a NxtGenWomxn program, there are simple, powerful ways to support girls:

🌼 Create Safe Circles

Designate a weekly time for girls to check in, share, and breathe — without teachers judging or peers teasing.

📣 Celebrate Emotional Honesty

Praise girls for speaking their truth, even when it’s messy. Honour honesty over perfection.

📚 Teach Mental Health Skills

Incorporate emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and goal-setting into life skills classes.

💜 Invest in Female Mentorship

Bring in womxn leaders who reflect your students’ identities and experiences.

🚫 Call Out Harmful Norms

Interrupt shaming, gossip, and microaggressions. Create a culture of kindness and consent.

Final Word: Empowered Girls Change Everything

When a girl learns how to name her feelings, regulate her emotions, take up space, and believe in her worth — everything changes.

Her relationships change.
Her schooling changes.
Her future changes.
Her community changes.

At SOHK, we’re not just raising awareness. We’re raising a generation of strong, soft, bold, brilliant, compassionate womxn who will change the world.

One breath, one session, one girl at a time.

Want to sponsor a NxtGenWomxn cohort or bring this programme to your school?
Contact us at info@schoolofhardknocks.co.za or visit www.schoolofhardknocks.co.za

Follow us on Instagram for daily inspiration and real stories: @sohk_sa