International Women's Day. Or Women's every day.

Since my last blog – my sensitivities towards gender equality are heightened.  My little girl is invited to a boy’s birthday party – she is the only girl. She plays with the boys.

For some time I battled with the idea that something was up.  When I asked what the girls do during recess  – she replied with ‘they’re boring, they sit and talk about clothes, boys, who they will marry’  I was left astounded. They’re 7! 

It’s with great relief that Ms. 7 prefers to run, play, shout, climb trees, playfight, be a superhero or a monster.

Yesterday’s celebration of the international women's day made me question. We celebrate women, adult women. There are business women’s networking talks, we celebrate female heroes, we celebrate organisations that support EEO.  But…. what messages we sharing with little girls to help them get through each and every day?

Are we telling them to burn the plastic tea set and climb a tree? That it is ok to be, feel and act differently, because that is what being an individual is all about?

I pondered this all day yesterday and when I got home from work and raised it with my girls, The Baby (now four) replied ‘but every day is our day. Don’t you tell us that we choose to have a good day, or a great day…it’s how we choose to tackle it?’


Job done, for today.

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