Here’s Why The Brawny Man Is Being Replaced By The Brawny Woman

You know the Brawny man? Of course you do. He’s the hunky lumberjack who has been the symbol for Brawny paper towels for decades.

Well, the Brawny dreamboat is getting the old heave-ho. Yep. In honor of National Women’s History Month, Brawny is replacing their iconic lumberjack with a lumberjane!

It’s all part of an exciting initiative called #StrengthHasNoGender. Think about it: We have so many messages in our society that men must be strong, while women must be soft. So, years ago, when Brawny wanted a symbol for something strong and powerful, they chose a man. But that’s all in the past. Now, we know that women can be just as strong as men, and our society is increasingly celebrating and encouraging female strength.

And that’s not all. Brawny’s parent company, Georgia-Pacific, is also going to donate $75,000 to Girls Inc.’s Operation SMART programming. What’s this program all about? According to their website:

“Girls Inc. Operation SMART develops girls’ enthusiasm for and skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Through hands-on activities, girls explore, ask questions, persist, and solve problems. By interacting with women and men pursuing STEM careers, girls come to view these careers as exciting and realistic options for themselves.”

Talk about a worthy cause! In addition to adopting the new Brawny woman, and to donating money to help encourage young girls, Brawny has also released several videos that serve to memorialize the awe-inspiring contributions of American women. From historic heroes like Harriet Tubman to modern women working in STEM careers, these videos are powerful and worth sharing.

Here is a video featuring Venice Armour, the first African-American female combat pilot:

https://youtu.be/3tMofo7zE3o

And one on Dr. Anna Kornbrot, an oral surgeon, and the first woman to graduate from Columbia College:

https://youtu.be/C21tMFiP1LE

And one on Dr. Patty Lopez, a platform applications engineer at Intel:

https://youtu.be/16ItkdfRk7k

How inspiring are these women? What a great start to National Women’s History Month. Strength really doesn’t know gender boundaries. Here’s to the new Brawny woman!

[h/t: Real Simple]