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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that this is the worst example of gender bollocks I've found?

348 replies

nenevomito · 18/08/2011 10:05

So the Studio Christmas book arrived on my doorstep yesterday. I once ordered some personalised pencils and have forever more been on their radar.

I have had to put it away as I am so fucking angry that they are selling shite like this.
I want to be Girls dress up set

A horse rider, a maid, a nurse a ballerina or a beautician.

A Maid???? Yeah set the bar high on aspiration there you knobbers.

So what about the boys set? Is it as pathetic?

I want to be boys dress up

A businessman, a pilot, an astronaut, a postman and a policeman.

How the hell have we got to 2011 where this shit is still acceptable. I am not saying that girls shouldn't want to be those things, but why the hell isn't the girls "I want to be dress up set" - Doctor, business woman, pilot, astronaut?

Maid???? You are SHITTING me Studio!

Then I made the mistake of searching for girls roleplay and discovered they carried on with the theme. Sure. Why not. Let me set aspiration and expectation in my daughter by dressing her as a maid and giving her the laundry set complete with pink fucking whirlygig washing line. for the Girls roleplay

I don't often rant on here but Angry.

OP posts:
SiamoFottuti · 18/08/2011 19:52

"silly pointless things" ? Like social conditioning of children and gender roles? Like a gendered workforce? Like pay gaps and the feminisation of poverty? If these are silly pointless things you have the IQ of a potato.

StayingDavidTennantsGirl · 18/08/2011 19:53

Perhaps because they only ever see nurse dressing-up costumes aimed at girls, Gotabookaboutit.

EuphemiaMcGonagall · 18/08/2011 19:53

The point I've been banging on about all day: it's boys whose horizons need to be broadened.

Gotabookaboutit · 18/08/2011 19:55

No - sparkly tabards and alienation of most of womenkind who are just trying to do a good job of rearing children !

ThePosieParker · 18/08/2011 19:56

Wow, apparently soon here will be more female drs than male.

ThePosieParker · 18/08/2011 19:56

Well we still think that nursing/caring is women's work.

Gotabookaboutit · 18/08/2011 19:57

StayingDavidTennantsGirl - not logical, if as statistics show that more girls are becoming doctors now than males. Also been shown that as long as working hours are taken into account women rise as far as men in senior positions

Gotabookaboutit · 18/08/2011 19:58

Exactly - Posie so it makes the nurse outfit thing bollocks

SiamoFottuti · 18/08/2011 19:59

No matter how many women doctors there are, they are severly under-represented in "elite areas" such as surgery, and in the top positions. Its not just about sheer numbers.

SiamoFottuti · 18/08/2011 20:01

and it doesn't make the "nurse thing bollocks" unless you also have as many male nurses as female. I think its obvious that isn't the case.

Gotabookaboutit · 18/08/2011 20:02

SiamoFottuti - Bollocks as I said if working hours are taken into consideration women rise as far and fast in senior positions.

SiamoFottuti · 18/08/2011 20:02

that simply isn't true.

TillyIpswitch · 18/08/2011 20:04

Bollocks as I said if working hours are taken into consideration women rise as far and fast in senior positions.

I don't quite follow - do you mean they do rise, or they can rise?

Any figures for that?

CRIKRI · 18/08/2011 20:05

I can't lay my hands on the most recent stats, but while there are significantly more women entering training to be doctors, the highest proportion of senior roles in medicine and surgery are still held by males.

When I trained as a nurse, there was a stat going around (and I'll look later to see if I can find it and something more recent,) that said only 5% of entrants to general nurse training were male but about 50% of grade I posts in nursing (at that time the level just above "ward sister,") were male.

Euphemia, I don't think it's just boys horizons that need to be broadened. I think the expectation of conforming to gender stereotypes can be damaging for both boys and girls. People tend to get into more of a lather and panic when a boy plays with a doll or wants to wear a dress than when a girl plays with cars and wants to dress as a pirate. But, especially as the girl gets older, imho, there is more discouragement from being a "tomboy" and ever increasing pressure from marketing messages to confirm to a passive, attractiveness-is-your-only-purpose role.

Imho, it's as ridiculous to market toys for just boys or just girls as it is to market them for just blue eyed kids and just brown eyed kids.

SiamoFottuti · 18/08/2011 20:06

and what does "taking working hours into consideration" mean anyway? In what way? Women are far more likely to work part time, less likely to take up advanced training, and more likely to take family friendly positions. Can you guess why?

Gotabookaboutit · 18/08/2011 20:12

A study in the British Medical Journal of UK medical graduates found although a smaller proportion of women than men progressed to senior posts, the career paths of women who had always worked full-time were very similar to those of men.

Many of the more elite areas have unpredictable and long hours which is why many women do not choose these as specialities - this is a fact of clinical life not a Paternalistic conspiracy, though things could be done it is difficult to regulate this without compromising patient care.

Many women chose to become Gp's because it fixed hours and can be done successfully partime - don't remember it being that badly paid!

halcyondays · 18/08/2011 20:14

Because they want to work part time and take family friendly positions. Nobody is forcing them to.

pigletmania · 18/08/2011 20:15

I would love it if my dd became a pilot, astronaute, engineer, and will not discourage her, but she has SN so I doubt it Sad

ThePosieParker · 18/08/2011 20:15

Hmm working hours....the medical profession is pretty unforgiving to women. When my friend was doing her last few shifts before maternity leave they switched her to nights!!! And in a household of two drs, women still lose the most working hours when a small family is around.

TillyIpswitch · 18/08/2011 20:16

although a smaller proportion of women than men progressed to senior posts, the career paths of women who had always worked full-time were very similar to those of men.

So there's still some way to go 'til we have equality, then?

Many of the more elite areas have unpredictable and long hours which is why many women do not choose these as specialities - this is a fact of clinical life not a Paternalistic conspiracy, though things could be done it is difficult to regulate this without compromising patient care.

Why are men more able to work unpredictable and long hours? Why aren't women?

Many women chose to become Gp's because it fixed hours and can be done successfully partime - don't remember it being that badly paid!

No, it's not badly paid at all; just not as well paid as specialist consultant level, which as we've agreed above is dominated by men.

ThePosieParker · 18/08/2011 20:16

That said I am encouraging DD to become a GP!! (well she is 4) And DS2 wants to be a zoologist, DS1 an Actor and DS3 will probably be Prime Minister!!!

TillyIpswitch · 18/08/2011 20:17

Because they want to work part time and take family friendly positions. Nobody is forcing them to.

Why is the default position for the onus to fall on women to take family-friendly positions? Why don't more men? Or at least as many men as women?

Megglevache · 18/08/2011 20:17

My kid would love a pink astronaut outfit, I might design one.

SiamoFottuti · 18/08/2011 20:18

NHS faces chronic shortage of women in top jobs, and 18% pay gap to boot Only 28% of consultants are female despite them making up 59% of the medical workforce.

Working hours is a smokescreen, its just another feminist issue of women in all professions being responsible for the vast majority of childcare, holding them back from achieving like men in their careers.

ThePosieParker · 18/08/2011 20:18

[waves to Meggle....your kids stillas cute as ever?]

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