A few weeks ago, International Girls' Day was celebrated and we already explain why that date is needed. If children in general are second-class citizens, we can say that in many places the girls are citizens "third".
And we don't have to go to distant countries or cultures. Everyday life in our environment shows us on many occasions. The European Association "Du Côté Des Filles", “In favor of girls”, was created in France in 1994, with the aim of claiming equality and eliminating sexism in many aspects of life.
Among its main objectives are to develop a program to eliminate sexism from educational material, promote anti-sexist representations in the field of education, produce and disseminate direct awareness tools to publishers, illustrators and illustrators, companies producing games and toys, users and institutional bodies
Luckily, school books are less and less colored by sexism, but I still remember a book I used where women seemed to have disappeared from history, or appear only for housework (in photos, problem statements ...).
As for children's books and toys, it is more common to forget that boys and girls can read and play the same without dyeing it all in pink or blue.
Since its creation, the Association “In favor of girls” develops a research program on illustrated albums, participates in awareness raising, and training on the topic of sexism in educational material.
Probably his work has been reflected in proposals that must reach the political leaders, who make the laws to be carried out. And in theory, no law defends sexism and inequality. but in practice, as demonstrated every day, it is not so.
And sexist differentiation is still normal in many areas, in many families. This helps a society that needs to make great progress in terms of equality. I don't want to think about what it will be in other countries with sexist cultures where women are considered inferior.
The importance of image as a model transmitter
At first the Association chose as a line of investigation the illustrated albums intended for children from zero to nine years. Those stories to which perhaps we do not pay too much importance and but say a lot to the little ones. Maybe the next time we go to the bookstore we should look better at the story's plot and the images that illustrate it.
The albums, present in the schools, in the libraries, at home ... are the first approach to reading and constitute a privileged teaching and support material in the identification processes, in the learning of sexual roles and social relations between the sexes
The images, observed for a long time by children who still can't read, are carriers of sexist stereotypes. You probably don't remember many stories from those books of your childhood, but the cover drawings or those that illustrated their interiors come to mind. A picture is worth a thousand words in this case too.
Let's say yes in a story mom always appears in the background attending to the scourge, the children or the washing machine (without wanting to place them on the same level), it will be seen as the most normal thing in the world for the father not to do those things.
Well, that assuming the same is not done at home. And if we consider what has more strength as an example for our children, we clearly win the books ourselves. If in a house the father also takes care of the children, of the washing machine, of the cleaning ... to the little ones what will seem strange to them is what appears in the books.
But how good if we all pull the same way ... That's why the work of the association against sexism “In favor of girls” seems necessary to me. Books, advertising, movie and television characters ... also act as models for children and should not promote inequality. I wish society were gradually more sensitive about this issue.
Official Site | Du cote des filles
In Babies and more | Educate boys and girls, Differences between boys and girls: how do times change ?, The stages in the learning of sexual categories, Toy ads convey sexist models
