And We Wonder Why Girls Don’t Become Engineers…
One thing that has always astounded me is the fact that people are continuously going on about the shortage of women in technical degrees and jobs. However at the same time people don’t seem to be targeting the core problem, which is how girls are brought up.
From a young age we are shaping our kids in a number of ways, not just by what we say and how we act but also with the toys we provide them. For example even though it is 2007 we are till traditionally giving girls dolls and home wear sets, and boys cars and action figures.
Even the big break through of creating “Lego for Girls” is a great disappointment as it is marketed as a dolls set, in a bight pink box:
What on earth is wrong with giving your little girl a traditional Lego set? Why does it need to be pink and some how involve dolls? The only reason girls like pink, fairies, dolls, princesses etc is because they are surrounded with them at birth and it is traditionally assumed that that is what they will like.
I mean I have nothing particularly against dolls, rather the sort of dolls we are promoting to children (Anorexic, flawless , beauty queens who own every possession desirable). Where are the Engineering barbies? The Mechanic Barbies? The Road Work Barbies? Where are the barbies who aren’t afraid to get dirty?
They don’t exist! and until we provide our girls with a “Balanced” view on play time and life we will continue to have a server lack of females in technical degrees.
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I doubt kids are that easy to shape. The thing is you’ll find most girls like playing with dolls. Boys with their trucks.
Anyway why do we need women becoming engineers? Engineering isn’t the be all and end all. More women then men are now becoming Doctors and doing academic courses such as International relations and languages not to mention Chemistry and Biology.
You assume girls like playing with dolls because that’s what they are given, and boys are given trucks.
I was given trucks and cars from a young agehence i liked trucks and cars
I agree. Where are all the average sized barbies? All the babies are size zero. Younge Girls are starving them selfs becuase they think it’s right, they thing being 100lbs or over is fat. I for one don’t. Sure I played with Barbies when I was little, but I also played in the dirt and played Legos. I even played with G-I Joes. And sure I worry about my weight some times, but I don’t stop eating, I excersize and get active.