There is still a gender gap in today’s modern society and unless we keep talking about it nothing will change. Men still earn more than women, this currently stands at an 18% pay gap and men still have more career opportunities than women just look at the number of CEO’s in business for an example.
As a teacher and mother I want equality for all my children, things have got better (undoubtedly) but I class myself as a liberal feminist and can see that work still needs to be done. Likewise as a teacher I believe that most of the career advice given in secondary schools is woefully inadequate. I have sat through many a careers day only to watch the gender stereotypes being played out, vocational education at school is much the same with girls still being channelled into Health and social care and boys into construction.
Yet if you ask business and commerce they will all tell you that we in the UK are facing a shortage in Engineering. Engineering and the STEM subjects are crying out for good quality graduates yet schools do not seem to be addressing this enough.
As a mum I want all three of my children to have successful careers in areas they have chosen. My eldest at fifteen has no real idea of what path she wants to take and who can blame her. Fifteen seems so young to be making career selection, goodness I am 38 and still not sure what I want to be when I grow up! We are also living in a society now where it is much more common to have more than one career. Take myself I have had one career as a teacher who was Head of Department and whilst the door of the classroom is not firmly shut for me I am certainly reconsidering my next move. I have my blogs and write for others – I am not sure if that qualifies me as a writer but I can’t keep referring to myself as a teacher (I still tutor and exam mark so maybe I can).
When I was musing these thoughts in tweets I was contacted by Lisa who is the author of a series of books called Tara Binns. Tara has a daughter and was looking for inspirational books to read to her daughter on women having exciting and challenging careers. The type of story that I too want to read to Erin (chloe maybe a bit too old for me reading to her now) and girls that age in the classroom. After failing to find what she was looking for Lisa decided to write her own and Tara Binns was born.
I have read the book to Erin who loves the story of Tara putting on a costume and finding herself transported to a world where she is flying a jumbo jet and having adventures with an old pirate treasure map. This will inspire our girls to aim high and not just accept the status quo.
We have come along way in the search for equality and whilst we have made great progress there is still more to be done. It is our role as parents to encourage both genders to aim high and I love these books for doing just that.
What’s more Lisa has kindly given me three copies of the book to giveaway. To enter just use the rafflecopter below. Closing date is April 30th at midnight.
37 Responses
I am a mum to a boy (16) so I have no clue how it is to raise a girl. I do know, that if I did have a girl, I would want her to aim for the stars and be whomever she wants to be. x
Another mum of boys here, but I think you’re right in everything you say about reinforcing the message that girls can do anything and be anything they want. Keep up the good work!
As a mum and feminist (I think) I am all for equality and agree that it starts when kids are small.
I was a real tom boy as a child and I even used to cry if my Mum put me in a dress (which she did many times). I climbed trees, made camps, did tricks on my BMX and played in the mud every opportunity I got. I wanted to learn how to repair cars with my Dad and use his lathe but he always told me that his garage was no place for a girl and I would watch with envy as he taught my younger Brother so man ‘manly’ skills. I struggled to understand the difference between me and my brother or why I couldn’t learn these things too. Great post x
my daughter turns 3 in a couple of weeks and as she gets older I want her to know she can do and be anything she wants to and that nothing and no-one can stop her! Yes She might be a girl but that does not define her when it comes to reaching her dreams
Girls have more opportunities than ever to be what they want to be. I do feel there should be more support though to get women back into the labour market after having children.
I still don’t know what I want to be and I’m not a spring chicken!
I think its every parents wish that their kids do well at school and college and attain good education so that they have good careers and job security.
As a mum of a boy I think sometimes that as children boys are overlooked and not valued as much as girls these days, but then I look at how women are treated and how we struggle at times to make our way and I can see that we do need to raise our girls positively. Anything that helps portray positive role models has to be a good thing.
I think we should raise both girls and boys to know that they can do anything that they want and not to be put off by stereotypes.
Great post! As a mummy of a little boy and a little girl I hope that both of my children grow up knowing they can do whatever they want to do regardless of whether it is male or female orientated as long as it makes them happy! x
Mummy has four of us – two boys, two girls. She wants us all to be able to have from life what we want – and to be happy x
It is really quite scary to think there is still so much of a gender gap in society and it seems we are pushing it under a chair and trying not to speak about it again in many ways. x
Being a mum to an eight year old girl I want her to know that she can be anything she wants to be, any type of profession not just stereotypical girl ones
I think girls have more opportunities now ~ I know my niece at 10 is very independent
I have a teen boy and 2 young girls. I hope they have equal opportunities and I will raise them to be comfortable in their own skin so they are never phased by a male dominated environment. Fingers crossed it works
By encouraging them to just be themselves
Having one of each gender i intend to bring both of mine up to be anything they want to be regardless of others views on stereotypical … as long as both have a career/job to vocation they are happy with and they are both independent, happy people i will be one super happy mum
i encourage her in everyway i can
This is where I fundamentally disagree on issues like these. I am tired of hearing about men earning more than women, the world is unequal and so on…. Alot of it is about changing peoples attitudes and perceptions towards jobs which are seen as ‘men only’ and changing how the worlds views women being the person to run the home and raise childen.
That is liberal feminism I guess Rachel as we acknowledge that progress has been made but there is still more to do before equality.
By encouraging the to be what they want to be when they grow up – a pilot, train driver, mechanic – whatever!
To try not to be something they’re not.
Let them know they can achieve anything if they work hard
Positive, healthy, role models.
Show how much women have improved their life since the suffragettes and therefore how much forward they can go.
I intend to inspire my little girl by showing her my courage, strength, a positive mental attitude and self-belief. It has to start with me for her to believe it. I’m her first role model and want to be my best self to help her be hers.
No differently than boys, there is a big wide world out there for the taking
by telling them they can do anything they want to do and be anything
Through treating them exactly like boys
I think giving them love and security in the knowledge that they will always be loved, appreciated and respected no matter what they chose to be in life is the most important first step. If they have that security they are more likely to push themselves to achieve their own personal goals and aspirations, knowing that they will always have your approval no matter what happens. 🙂
Stop putting ourselves down! Men don’t do it, neither should women. We should be proud role models for our daughters
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Great post! I can really associate
Encourage them to be themselves, reach their dreams, and do not care too much what everyone else says 🙂
What a brilliant idea! Every little girl should grow up knowing she can be anything she wants to be, and books such as these help that!
We should encourage girls to think for themselves and to aim to get the goals they want in life and always be strong and true to themselves
By not being too worried if they prefer clothes that aren’t pink and sparkly and prefer doing “boys” things. Let them find their own way and their own style. Also telling them that “being stick thin” isn’t always the healthiest of options and finding someone who’s not “one or the other” weight size. Too much pressure on children these days.