Night at the Museum - is this a bit off?

[MegMogandOwlToo]

I'm looking into organising a night at the science museum for a community group, and I'm looking at the adult ratios required.

The website states that women can sleep in either the boys or girls section, but men can only sleep in the boys section. Surely this is sexist? I don't understand why they don't just say that women must supervise the girls and men must supervise the boys?

Link here: www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/visitmuseum/science_night/science_night_faqs.aspx

I'm never quite sure why but it seems standard.

My Brother was desperate to take his girls (single Dad) was told no way.

isnt this from the all men are phedos school of thought?

many places do this perhaps they should change the policy but how do you change a policy with hysteria around and how would you make it fair men police boys and women police girls? or would that bring more hysteria

(note to all im tired so im sounding snippy but im not trying to be snippy i just cant get my phrasing right!)

It's unfair a single Dad can't take his daughters to an event like this but I do understand the reason for these rules. I can't put into words why though, it's more of a feeling that this is the right way for these events.

It's a tough one, but it feels to me as though they are saying that women are safe and men aren't.. Almost as though men are predators that can't be trusted around young girls.

I'm a mum of boys though, so perhaps if feel differently if I had girls, I don't know.

Thats a bit weird do they let other groups in at the same time so maybe its a privacy thing ?

It is saying men are unsafe though thats the message they are giving out

I think it's a bit off.

I imagine they don't get many male volunteers (can't imagine why!!!), so if the same applied to female volunteers the trips could never go ahead.

Agree it's ridiculous and very sexist though.

MrsJayy Well statistically they are unsafe...not in general but more than women are anyway.

How sad :( and makes no sense. Why can men be around young boys but not girls? If it is a "all
Men are paedos" thing then surely they shouldn't be allowed with the boys either? If it is about respecting Young people's privacy, getting changed etc, then the women shouldn't be allowed in with the boys. It is perpetuating several irritating viewpoints - women are safe and men are not, girls are sensitive and only want other women around (what if they have issues with "girly things"?!! Ugh) whereas boys are tough and don't care or need gender sensitive help.

OP this would greatly annoy me too. It makes no sense!!

Thats just it, it doesn't make sense

It's a rule that doesn't make sense. All men are not peados. And if any of the men there were peados it's doesn't mean that the boys are safe. They usually tout the 'it's to protect adults as well'

To me it says men can't be trusted around young girls

And/or

Young girls can't be trusted to not to make false claims of sexual assault against older men. But boys can be trusted.

all men can't be trusted

I think it's fairly standard. When I helped with school swimming female teachers could go into either changing room but male teachers couldn't go into the female.

Never looked at this but surely they could just have a mixed family section to cover the dads and daughters scenario and let people make their own assessment of risk.

The link says:
"What are the sleeping arrangements?
Your group will remain together for the whole event and will sleep in the same gallery, but there are different arrangements for schools and families:

Families: all sleep together in the ‘Family Zone’
Schools: boys and girls have separate sleeping areas. Female adults may sleep in either area, however male adults may only sleep on the male side of the gallery."

So presumably the dad/daughter scenario is ok?

It reflects the reality. Child abusers are far far more likely to be male. Now we can talk about why that is and what it means for everyone else, but I dont see the problem with preventative action based on reality rather than abstract notions of fairness.

It doesnt affect family set ups as they have their own grouping and this rule doesnt apply.

There was a thread about school swimming changing recently where this was hashed out at length. I'll see if I can find it for you.

It must change in time. We have male janitors in ladies' loos and family changing rooms in swimming pools, which were not the norm when I was younger.

The issue is that males are unlikely to be child abusers. The majority of men do not abuse children. Same as the majority of women.

They should all sleep in together really. That would probably be safest all round. Do they really need to get undressed for any reason go one night? I know it's not the same, but this is why unisex changing rooms (with cubicles) are actually a good idea.

Yes, statistically men are more dangerous, but they are also dangerous to boys, so even the 'all men are paedophiles' argument makes no sense.

So you're in the same room anyway, with a single dad able to sleep with umpteen daughters in the same area, but if you go with a school and you're a man you sleep on the boys side while able to go and supervise the girls as much as you like while you're awake (don't know how much supervision anyone manages while asleep) and the problem is???

Sounds perfectly fair, it's all about what's typically socially 'asked for' (if boys, or more pertinently the parents of those boys, generally had a huge problem with adult women in their group sleeping on their side I'm sure that would change) rather than risks of paedophiles.