Girls are Clever too, Mr Lego
Danish company Lego, are facing critisism for introducing ‘Friends’ a range designed specifically for girls, set in Heartlake City, featuring a pastel – coloured beauty salon, bakery, vet’s practice, fashion design studio and an inventor’s surgery. There are also five pretty dolls all with accessories including hand-bags, lipsticks, hair dryers puppies and kittens.
Instead of using our imagination to create something, Lego have released a girl’s pack that can be put together in a few simple moves. No technical stuff for our little girlies! Funny really, because in the past Lego has always marketed itself as being appealing to both girls and boys, why the change of heart?
Professor Becky Francis, Director of Education at the royal Society of Arts and an expert on child development and toys, told The Times.
‘It is totally playing on the notion that girls are fashion-obsessed, social and creative,’ she said. ‘It is not half as technical and challenging as the product for boys.’
On the flip side, last year I was invited to the Houses of Parliament to the launch of an inspirational careers book ‘If Chloe Can’, created and written by Esther McVey for girls aged 11-13 year olds. The book features a wide variety of female ‘firsts’ who have all been high achievers in their respective fields. All of whom, have overcome difficulties and hardships to become the best in the world; their talents and expertise range from; science to finance, law to politics, fashion and arts.
In total, 50 world class women have taken part in the book. For example, Eileen Collins who was the first women to command a space shuttle, Clara Furse, the first woman to run the stock exchange, Jo Salter the first female British Fighter Pilot, Debbie Moore the first female to found a PLC and Margaret Thatcher, the first and only woman to have been Prime Minister of the UK.
Duffy, Myleene Klass, Vanessa Mae, Nicola Horlick, Jayne Torville, Martha Lane Fox, Beth Tweddle, Dame Ellen McArthur and Marissa Mayer of Google are in the book too and were delighted to be taking part to help and encourage girls to fulfill their potential and achieve their dreams. Everyone of the women who took part explained how they chose the career they did, how they planned their career, how hard they worked, explaining their ups and downs, successes and failures and how they learnt from each.
This is what we need for our girls. Let’s not suggest that they become nurses, let’s instead give them the opportunity to become a nurse or indeed a doctor. Let’s inspire the female generation and tell them to reach for the skies.
Esther McVey said ‘The intention is to raise the aspiration of young girls and encourage them to take an active and constructive attitude towards their own personal development. In essence, it is about giving girls positive and varied female role models who are successful in a broad range of professional areas.’
My request – Esther, could you please put in a call to Lego…
