Send my friend to school: do world leaders need handbags?

[loveableshoulder]

Has anyone done the Send My Friend to School session this year? You cut out a 2d 'world leader', colour, add your message to world leaders about the importance of Education for all children, then accessorise.

Some templates are male, some female. Accessories available are: microphone, glasses, speech bubble, briefcase and handbag.

I'm just not sure the handbag should
be there. All my students - two classes - agreed this would be for female leaders. So the men get a briefcase, signifying work, gravitas, and the women get...a handbag. When I pointed this out, many of the girls said that handbags are nice; they are for keeping your purse in. When I said that I like handbags too but could keep a purse in my briefcase, they didn't understand :(

AIBU, or should SMFTS have stuck to briefcases for all?

don't get me started on the glasses

[loveableshoulder]

Urge! AIBU in thinking that they should have ditched the handbag?

[madreloco]

Why the implication that powerful women can't like a good handbag? I don't like briefcases personally, that has no bearing at all on my status.
Also, the men can use them too for all anyone cares.

[VikingVolva]

Well, if one of the leaders looks like HMQ or Mrs a Thatcher then handbag required. 'Hand bagging' became a by-word for what a powerful leader did to get her way because of the strength of that female PM.

I suggest you teach her the strong message.

[AuntieStella]

from BBC website: I was hand bagged by Mrs Thatcher. The handbag, an icon of the era

[Eigg]

Well I'm certainly not a world leader but I carry both a handbag and a briefcase to work each day.

Why can't it be both? Or neither? Presumably it's a choice.

[PacificDogwood]

Well, personally I hate and detest handbags, so if I were world leader I'd make sure that all women's clothing was designed with usable pockets FFS

Sorry, not what you're asking.
I dunno - lots of people like handbags, there was a fashion for 'man bags' not that long ago.
IME many high-powered women carry a briefcase AND a power handbag.
I think having the handbag there is ok tbh but I do see the problem you are pointing out.

[loveableshoulder]

I suppose I'm a little depressed that the girls just thought 'nice handbag!' I like handbags too, just thought it a little patronising.

[AuntyMag10]

You are massively overthinking it. If you get to the stage of being a world leader then you obviously carrying a handbag is insignificant.

[Eigg]

But loveable what's wring with the girls thinking 'nice handbag'? It in no way prevents them running the world if they so choose.

It's only a problem if all they talked about was the handbag.

I'll admit that I was rather depressed that leaders debate thread on MN was full of comments about the First Minister's shoes.

[Blueskybrightstar]

What? A chance to talk about world leaders and the task is to accessorize them? Seriously sickening. What a bloody waste.

[shewept]

Whether its depressing that the girls thought 'ooohh nice hand bag' and whether a female world leader needs/ wants a handbag is 2 different things.

I use a laptop case and a handbag. When i get to the office i am working at, i may briefly leave. have a meeting else where that doesn't require my laptop, maybe lunch and i would take my hand bag.

DD has liked to carry an empty handbag since she was 18 months old and certainly wasn't brought up in a house where there were girl things and boys things. I am not going to ban her from carrying a handbag. Its probably because I did, but since I want to carry a handbag, I do. Now, she is older she also hates keeping things in her pockets.

I don't like the implication that because you have a responsible job, you can't also like handbags.

[shewept]

Oh and I am a member of a knife and tomahawk throwing club. Carry my knifes to practice.....in my handbag. only one of 2 women who are members the other has a handbag too.

[geekymommy]

The Queen has one, doesn't she?

[StepAwayFromTheEcclesCakes]

hmm I get it OP, the issue isn't about powerful women having nice handbags its just that using them as an accessory in this exercise kinda takes away the serious thought about the roles involved as the discussion gets sidetracked to gender issues around men and womens accessories.... yes bloody shame.

[Eigg]

Shewept hold on a second!! You're a member if a knife and tomahawk throwing club??

Screw the handbags, I need to know more about that!

[PacificDogwood]

Yeah, me too
Spill, shewept!!

[loveableshoulder]

Thanks for your responses, everyone.

shewept I am going to agree with everything you're saying

step has put my thoughts down much clearer than me. But I'll accept that I may well be overthinking this.

Fwiw, I have already twice said that I like handbags too :)

[Eigg]

I couldn't wait for shewept I googled. There's a society and world championships and everything!

They basically (with much skill I'm sure) chuck lots of sharp stuff at targets! (Throwing spade anyone!!)

Now, given that I can't throw anything (let alone anything sharp) to save my life this is not a potential new hobby for me but I'd love to spectate.

Also they have an incredibly sweet logo in their website all about the dangers of knife throwing and open toed sandals

[loveableshoulder]

eigg

[PacificDogwood]

[Eigg]

I love MN for this kind of stuff. I could have lived my whole life never knowing that we have organised Tomahawk throwing going on in the UK.

[PacificDogwood]

There should be a prize for The Most Radom Thread Derail

Yy, I love MN for that too - my horizons get widened every day.

I seem to not have gone to bed. And the dog still needs walking. Ah well, at least nobody is throwing a tomahawk at my naked toes

[PacificDogwood]

Better than disorganised tomahawk throwing IMO...

[Eigg]

Sorry for the detail loveable

Go walk that poor doggy Pacific. I've paired lots of socks so I'm off to bed thinking about Tomahawks