"We, as Soroptimists, are a
valuable resource in achieving the empowerment of women and girls. Individually
and collectively we are able to enact changes in our daily lives, in our families
and in our communities. But the world is still plagued by unacceptable harmful
traditions and practices such as child marriage, FGM, domestic abuse, and rape as
a weapon of war. Across the world women and girls are harassed and
discriminated against every day. This is never appropriate. These harmful
stereotypes and practices must be eradicated, and we must do more to make that
happen. What I ask of each and every member of Soroptimist International, is to
recognise the power and the need for
dialogue. Consider how we can immediately and continuously lobby within our own
families and our own communities. We must change attitudes and behaviours to begin the breakdown of
harmful practices and traditions. We must all work together to end the perpetuation
of stereotypes that disempower all women and girls.

International President Anne Garvie

Breaking down damaging stereotypes for men, boys, women and girls – #CSW58 side events 

Reilly Dempsey, Head of Programme and Advocacy at Soroptimist International, reported back on a challenging and inspiring SI CSW58 side event in March 2014, giving a male perspective on the need to break down gender stereotypes.

 

"If we can call a group
of girls “guys”, why can’t we call a group of guys “girls”? 

This question was posed to our panel by a young Cambodian
woman who was learning English.  She found it so strange that we use the
slang term “guys” to refer to women, men, boys, and girls, but we can’t do the
same for the word “girls”.  What an eye opening and challenging question!

Eye-opening and challenging are definitely two words which
described SI’s panel, Blue is the New Pink, held  at CSW 58.  It
was SI’s first ever all-male panel, and we had a packed house with an amazingly
diverse audience – from many ages, genders, and countries". Read the full story here.   

 

 

Video: Men, Boys and Gender Equality by Soroptimist International

“Cultural attitudes and gender ideologies frequently regard
women as subordinate to men, or dictate that men should control women,” said
Navi Pillay, Former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. “These attitudes may be so
widely and deeply held within the community that they are almost invisible –
except in their effects. For they perpetuate discrimination, violence and humiliation.” 

Source: The Harms of Gender Stereotyping, United Nations Human Rights, June 20, 2014.  

 

 

Picture: What is appropriate? Are cultural traditions and behaviours looking to be changed?  

Lego’s new land  

A seven-year-old girl’s letter scolding Lego for what she saw as gender stereotypes in their toys this year, went viral. In Charlotte Benjamin’s hand-written letter she makes it clear she loves Lego but complains that during a visit to the toy store she noticed that "there are more Lego boy people and barely any Lego girls."

Picture: Charlotte’s letter to Lego

Some might say Charlottes’ telling off worked – with Lego releasing a female astronomer, a female paleontologist, and a female chemist in August this year. Perhaps not groundbreaking, but with the recent news that Ladybird is the latest publisher to sign up to the campaign, Let Toys Be Toys it could be seen as a step in the right direction.

 

Letting Toys be Toys

Let Toys Be Toys is asking the toy and publishing industries to stop
limiting children’s interests by promoting some toys and books as only
suitable for girls, and others only for boys. In recent news, Ladybird is the latest to sign up to the campaign. In a quote following the announcement, a spokesperson for Ladybird said:  “Following discussions, should any of the titles you
mention be reprinted for the trade we will be removing this labelling. We certainly don’t want to be seen to be limiting children
in any way. Out of literally hundreds of titles currently in print, we
actually only have the six titles you cite with this kind of titling, so
I do feel we offer a vast range for children and their parents. As Ladybird is part of the Penguin Random House Children’s division,
our commitment to avoiding gendered titles in the trade crosses all our
imprints. ”

 

Read more about the Let Toys be Toys campaign here.

"The prevalence and persistence of gender stereotypes show that the shift of mentalities remains the highest challenge for the realisation of women’s rights. Whist legislation is key, it is not enough and should be accompanied by political will to keep women’s rights on the highest level of the political agenda, at all times."

Quote from a statement made by The European Women’s Lobby, an advocacy group of which Soroptimist International is a member of.