For a while now, my boss, Allison makes sure to correct me when ever I use the term "girl" for "woman".
She tells me she knows I'm not saying "girl" as any kind of conscious put-down or bias...but that I have to consider carefully whether the person I'm talking about is truly a "girl" or whether she is actually a "woman"!
I used to think she was being overly sensitive because I didn't understand why it was such a big deal! I mean I call men "guys" sometimes...what's wrong with calling women "girls"?!
But she has helped me understand that "girl isn't the opposite of "woman", but the opposite of "child", as in "boys & girls"!
So I now understand that it is a word choice I have to use better...and I find myself actually self-correcting now if I use the wrong term!
I found this video from Mayim Bialik...and she does such a good job explaining all this that I wanted to make sure you saw it.
Maybe it will change how you use the word, "girl"...