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Questioning Gender Disparity in Children’s Books
Is Teddy a boy teddy or a girl teddy?
When we imagine ourselves as parents, we think of ourselves guiding our children through the world, supporting them to reach their potential. In an ideal world, our children can develop their strengths and explore their talents, shape their destinies in positive ways. It comes as a shock when we start to realise the ways that our society limits our children according to gender. Even in an egalitarian society such as Australia in the 21st century, gender can still be a barrier.
As well as being a parent to two young girls, I am also a literacy specialist and was an English teacher before that. I’m discerning about the books I buy for my children, as well as the TV they watch, yet I still find gender disparity in the media they consume. Once you’ve noticed it, it’s hard to ignore and it is everywhere.
Have a look at the books in your children’s collection. Make a tally of how many books have a male protagonist and how many have a female protagonist. In the case of very young children’s books, look at the books where the main character is an animal or supernatural creature. Does the gender default to male, even when it is irrelevant to the story? You might expect this in the stories of Beatrix Potter and the ilk, but unfortunately, the default to the…
