A viral film clip has inspired a feminist TikTok movement for women to reclaim the phrase ‘run like a girl’
The ‘run like a girl’ trend on TikTok has emerged that finally addresses this misogynistic phrase head-on, showcasing the reality these words have in women’s everyday lives.
“This is girlhood at its finest. This is what we want. I was born in 1986, I came up in the ’90s,” said Kara Robinson Chamberlain who inspired the trend, to news.com.au.
@ellicitey Run like a girl. #3096days #thelovelybones #foryoupage #4upage #xyzabc #thegirlwhoescaped #katiedouglas #viralvideo #makemefamous #runlikeagirl ♬ original sound – ellicity
“And to see how society is changing and how this trend — and social media in general — are painting a beautiful picture of girlhood.”
Chamberlain came up with the idea to voice her experience of being kidnapped at 15 years old in South Carolina in 2002 by serial killer Richard Evonitz.
Her story went on to inspire the 2023 film, The Girl Who Escaped: The Kara Robinson Story, with a clip going viral on TikTok.
It shows the gut-wrenching moment Kara (played by Katie Douglas) sprints away from her kidnapper’s apartment with the song Labour by Paris Paloma–which went viral on TikTok as a feminist anthem–playing overtop.
Hence, the trend was born as women have been using this song to share their own stories from when ‘running like a girl’ literally saved their lives from abuse at the hands of men.
After seeing the widespread reaction, Chamberlain hopped on the TikTok trend with a clip of herself reading: “At 15, I ran out of the apartment of a man who would have killed me. And now I get to teach others what it looks like to be strong and not be defined by their past.”
She now has nearly 1 million followers on TikTok, with her video gaining 286K views, and 87.5K videos made using the viral song.
She doesn’t want her story to just be “trauma tourism” but something that creates positive, lasting change for women by educating and inspiring them.
“Now, you can take your life back. You can stop running.”
