Periodically I find myself absolutely incensed by the gender conditioning that we all subjected to throughout our lives by the media etc, and this week something on TV caught my eye.

I was probably in a bad mood anyway that day, which wouldn't have helped, but it just reminded me how much of this there is on TV, with men and women in their gender roles. And this then reminded me of the horrors of toy shops, and how early gender conditioning begins...

Boys sections are blue, black, green.

Girls sections are pink, fluffy, tactile.

Boys sections have toys for fighting (protecting), building (bread winning), cars (freedom).

Girls sections have princess dresses (looking pleasing), pretend cookers and kitchens (keeping a home), baby dolls (reproducing).

It starts so early!

Last Christmas someone I work with told me that his young son wanted a ballerina dress for Christmas as he wanted to dance and feel the fabric swish around him. I wasn't surprised to learn that my colleague doesn't have a TV, the child was preschool age, and he and his wife have never pushed gender ideals on their young son! Sadly this boy will have a shock if he arrives and is still wearing pink dresses.... because apparently that's just not OK!

Rant over.

Thank you.