You know, my mum's always encouraged me and never made my gender

When Paloma Faith spoke the words, “You know, my mum's always encouraged me and never made my gender an issue, I guess. She brought me up to believe in equality, as opposed to feminism or sexism – so it just meant that my gender was not relevant to what I was capable of achieving,” she revealed a truth passed from mother to child: the power of encouragement and the strength of equality. Her statement is not only a tribute to her mother’s wisdom, but also a vision of a world where the measure of a soul is not bound by gender, but by ability, dedication, and spirit. It is the ancient dream of fairness, spoken anew in modern times.

The meaning of this quote rests in its simplicity: that true freedom arises when barriers of gender dissolve, when men and women alike are measured not by their bodies but by their deeds. Paloma’s mother, in raising her with this conviction, did not press labels of “feminism” or “sexism” upon her daughter’s young mind, but rather instilled the pure belief in equality. In doing so, she planted the seed of strength—so that when the world whispered its doubts, Paloma’s heart could answer, I am not defined by my gender; I am defined by my will.

The origin of such thinking lies deep in the struggles of past generations. For centuries, women were told their place was narrow, their reach confined, their dreams secondary. The rise of feminism came as a necessary force to break chains and demand rights long denied. Yet here, Paloma speaks of something even deeper: a home where these battles were not carved into her identity as conflict, but transcended altogether by the teaching that gender should never matter. Her mother’s wisdom was a prophecy of the world we still strive toward—a world where equality is not argument but assumption, not struggle but natural order.

Let us remember the story of Hypatia of Alexandria, the great philosopher and mathematician of the ancient world. Born in the fourth century, she lived in a society where women were seldom permitted to lead in learning. Yet her father raised her in the pursuit of knowledge, never confining her mind to the limits set by gender. Hypatia became a teacher, a thinker, a beacon of wisdom whose name endures across millennia. Like Paloma’s story, hers shows us that when families nurture equality, greatness can flourish even against the strongest tides of prejudice.

The wisdom in Paloma’s words is this: when parents, mentors, and societies refuse to bind children to the shackles of gender, they set them free to soar. For when a girl believes she may achieve whatever she desires, she will rise unafraid into the arenas of art, science, and leadership. And when a boy learns that his worth is not diminished by treating women as equals, he too is freed from the chains of dominance and fear. This is the harmony that equality brings: not division, but strength woven from mutual respect.

The lesson is clear: speak to children not of what they cannot do, but of what they may yet achieve. Strip away the labels that divide, and replace them with the conviction that capability is not born of gender, but of effort and spirit. Encourage not with comparisons, but with faith in the individual. For the words spoken in youth become the pillars of adulthood, and the seeds planted in childhood bear fruit in all their future endeavors.

What then must the listener do? Encourage as Paloma’s mother encouraged. When guiding the young—whether your own children, your students, or those who look to you—speak as though barriers do not exist, and show them by your actions that dignity belongs equally to all. Challenge quietly the voices that diminish others for their gender, not with anger alone, but with steadfast example. And in your own life, live as though the labels of division are weightless, while the truth of equality is the foundation upon which you stand.

Remember always: equality is not a theory, nor merely a banner raised in protest. It is a way of living, a way of raising, a way of believing. Paloma Faith’s story teaches us that when one generation instills this wisdom in the next, they gift the world with individuals unbound, ready to create, ready to lead, ready to love without fear. And so must we all pass this torch forward, until the day comes when no child ever doubts what they are capable of achieving.