My father was the best and worst of fathers. He would have given his life to save mine. He was embarrassingly proud of my accomplishments and naively certain that I would succeed. But he had a double standard about sex and rigid views about women…. “Reviving Ophelia (P 129)

A father needs to offer more to his daughter than being a good provider and protector. He needs to be emotionally involved from birth, share common interests and foster open communication. Fathers with an empowering view of women can teach their daughters how to protect themselves and assert themselves as individuals. They can help their daughters to value their intelligence, creativity and sporting skills as well as their physical appearance. Supportive fathers have daughters with good self-esteem and a sense of self worth. They become assertive in relationships with the opposite sex and they have healthy expectations and boundaries in their relationships.