Do little girls play football? Children speak out on gender stereotypes and the Hamleys campaign

Yesterday I had the wonderful opportunity of going into a school classroom and taking part in a discussion on gender stereotypes and the Hamleys campaign I ran at the end of last year.

The brilliant teacher, Laura Kirsop, of Soho Parish School, dedicated a whole morning to a class centred around the campaign, as part of a series of lessons on politics.

I dropped in at the end after the children (year 5, 10 year olds) had discussed the campaign and watched me on CNN being interviewed by the bellicose Richard Quest. They had also put together some surveys to give out to their peers in other classes, quizzing them on their clothes, toys, colour preferences and aspirations, and relating these answers to gender.

After asking me a few questions, which included why I ran the campaign, why I chose Hamleys and what the reactions were, they voiced their own opinions on the subject. Here are some of their comments (not word-for-word):

On toys
Girl: "I wanted a toy helicopter, but there were none in the girls' section. In the girls' section, I was offered nail varnish."
Boy: "There were toy helicopters for girls, but they were all pink. The boys' helicopters are more expensive and have numbers and letters on them. The more numbers written on the side, the more expensive they are."
Girl: "I don't like companies telling me what to do, restricting my choices."
Girl: "When I look at video games online, they are different for boys and girls and that annoys me."
Girl: "When we walk past a building site, we see all men working there. It's because boys are given building bricks as toys and girls are not."

On clothes
Girl: "I get annoyed that when I go into shops, the trousers are pink are frilly."
Girl: "When I looked for T shirts online, they were all pink for girls and I didn't like that."
Boy: "I think clothes should be separated because boys can't wear dresses."

On football
Girl: "When I go to to play football, people assume I'm a boy. This upsets me because the assumption is that girls can't play football."
Boy: "Why can't we see women's football on TV? There are female footballers but why can't we see them?"

On colours
Girl: "I asked my brother what colours he likes. When he included pink, he was teased. Boys are under a lot of pressure too."

Watch out for the next installment - when the results of the children's surveys come back.

A speech: vision to change the world

This is my speech at the Association of Speakers Clubs (Camden Speakers Club) on my vision to change the world. It follows my 'life transforming' experience' at an Andy Harrington event.

(I have a limited number of tickets (at a much reduced price) available to people who want to attend a future Andy Harrington event - please contact me: delilah.mj[at]gmail.com)

A message to Andy Harrington

This is an edited version of a speech I gave at the Association of Speakers Clubs (ASC) South-East England District Final Contest on 18 March 2012. I am very grateful to Claudia Crawley, of Winning Pathways Coaching, who made me her ‘Page 1 Woman of the week’ for speaking up at the 'Power to Achieve' event. 

I have a limited number of tickets (at a much reduced price) available to people who want to attend a future Andy Harrington life-transforming event - please contact me at: http://drlauranelson.com/contact-us/

Dear Andy Harrington,

I want to tell you about an unusual experience. But before I do, let me tell you about myself.

My name is Laura. I’m a person. I’m 35.

For 14 years of my life, I have been an employee. I've worked hard. I'm had good times and bad times. But always working for other people’s organisations, and other people’s dreams.

I have a personal dream. It’s this: I have a vision of a world in which people, as individuals, are free to fulfill their own potentials and are not restricted by discrimination, stereotypes and judgements - from others and from themselves.

I’ve pursued my dream. I’ve been published. I’ve run campaigns. I've been in newspapers. I’ve been on TV.

But I was still feeling as though something was blocking me, something that I described to people as being like ‘having a vice on my head’. My ideas were chaotic and I felt it was difficult to focus, and to have clarity. There were self-limiting thoughts. There were beliefs that held me back.

So I wanted to change. Someone told me about your ‘Power to Achieve’ weekend. I was sceptical, but I went.

On the first day, you promised us a ‘software reboot’ of our minds. At the end of the first day, I broke though a block of wood with my hand – something I never thought I’d be capable of doing. I began to realise what I could do, and – more importantly – what I must do. It had been staring at me in the face for so long but I hadn't had the courage or confidence to completely embrace it.

On the second day, I bent a piece an iron rod, the type that reinforces concrete. I also went up on stage and addressed more than 300 people in the auditorium about why I thought that gender stereotypes restricted people’s perceptions of themselves and of others, and stopped people fulfilling their individual potentials. Stereotypes contribute to conditioning of our minds, and we are trying to overcome that conditioning to be achievers. I got a standing ovation. Many people approached me afterwards and said they were glad I spoke up, and glad I spoke the truth.

The day after the event, someone emailed me and said: “When you spoke on stage I didn’t get it. But I thought about it and now I understand. Today..." he said. "Today we have woken up into an auditorium of seven billion people.”

For the last week, I have felt a lightness, clarity and gratitude I have never experienced before. I have taken risks, I have found business partners, and there has been nothing in my head holding me back. I have talked to many people about the value of your event. Life is a continuous stream of excitement, richness and enjoyment.

Thank you. I have spent 14 years of my working life working for other people’s dreams, believing I didn’t have a choice. Now it’s time to focus on my own.

I have a limited number of tickets available to people who want to attend a future Andy Harrington life-transforming event (at a much reduced price) - please contact me at: http://drlauranelson.com/contact-us/

Can you 'learn' how to be an entrepreneur?

Somebody asked me if it’s possible for anyone to learn how to be an entrepreneur. He could have, of course, asked: it is possible for anyone to learn how to be a ----, where ---- is whatever your dream is. So I wrote a story:

A long time ago, there was a man in Brazil called Bimba, who was the champion of capoeira, an ancient martial art. One day, he came across a young boy and girl playing capoeira together, and he was so impressed he offered himself as their mentor - if that's what they chose.

The boy said to himself: "Why do I need somebody to teach me? I am good enough already. And besides, even if Bimba taught me, I’d never be as good as him.”

The girl, on the other hand, went to visit Bimba, asked him to be her mentor and they trained together for many years.

Who do you think became the next capoeira champion of Brazil?

Mix up the lego and see the stereotypes

Use this mixing tool to see a lego advert targeted at girls with a boys' lego voiceover and vice versa.