Nursery children in Scotland are the target of a new campaign that aims to end sexism in pre-schools and prevent future domestic violence by encouraging boys to swap their cars for dolls and little girls to dress up as pirates, says The Times.
The ‘Just Like a Child’ initiative being launched this week by ‘Zero Tolerance’, a charity that claims to ‘fight violence against women’, aims to ‘end gender stereotyping in nurseries’ by giving boys dolls to play with and encouraging girls to play with guns and be ‘strong and tough’.
Jenny Kemp, Zero Tolerance coordinator, writes: “We believe that it is never too early to question what is seen as ‘normal’ or what is traditionally expected of boys and girls in our society. In fact, we believe that doing so from a very young age helps to protect children from the negative consequences of inequality and discrimination as they grow into adults.”
Liz Ely, a ‘development officer’ at Zero Tolerance, said: “From the moment children are born they are told that boys must be strong and tough, and girls are delicate and pretty. These stereotypes have real and lasting consequences. The fact that as a society we tell boys not to express their emotions, and girls that they are not suited to science and maths, sets children on a path to inequality; this inequality lays the foundations for abuse and violence in later life.”
Dr Sarah Morton, a ‘family expert’ and psychologist at the University of Edinburgh, said ‘our research has found a clear link between gender stereotypes and violence against women and children.’
It would be interesting to see that research, and how ‘gender stereotypes’ were quantified, because common sense might lean to the view that it is insecurity rather than some supposed ‘inequality’ which lies at the heart of a desire to lash out, and that by encouraging insecurity in their gender identity this programme will increase the likelihood that these boys and girls will grow up unbalanced and abusive.
The website www.zerotolerance.org.uk says the organisation ‘is a charity working to tackle the causes of men’s violence against women. Too many women in Scotland, and around the world, experience violence from men – most often men they are close to and/or who are in a position of power over them. Men’s violence against women is caused by gender inequality, and it helps this inequality to continue.’
There is so much wrong in that unbalanced statement it is hard to know where to begin. For a start, women’s violence and abuse against men apparently either does not happen or does not matter to ‘Zero Tolerance’. The idea that men are always ‘in a position of power’ over women is laughable. Lastly, where does the idea come from that violence is simply and exclusively ’caused by gender inequality?’ Abuse of any sort is caused by sin, and the roots of it can lie in insecurity, irritation, drunkenness, provocation, mental problems or plain old wickedness. And the fair sex are not immune from any of those.
One strongly gets the impression that there is either an anti-Christian, feminist political agenda behind the approach of ‘Zero Tolerance’ or there are some personal issues becoming rather too public. Â Either way, it is not just sad but frankly mendacious to involve children in a social experiment which could leave them trying to work out problems with gender identity later in life.
It would be better and more effective to teach boys that they have a responsibility to protect and care for girls, but of course that would reinforce the very ‘gender stereotype’ that the feministas at Zero Tolerance so detest.
Genesis 2:18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
Isaiah 3:12 As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.
1Peter 3:7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered
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Dear Stephen,
Following on from your ‘zero-tolerance’ article, I wonder whether you may have come across ‘the deliberate dumbing-down of america’ (Lower case in original) by Charlotte Iserbyt. She worked at a very high level in the U.S. Education system and blew the whistle in this book on their psychological techniques. She argues (I am only 150 pages in) that behavioural psychologists like B.F.Skinner have subverted the U.S. education system into a platform for social engineering. The younger the better. it seems to tie in also with the Sodomite agenda to get the children while they are very young. I would be very surprised if the same subtle techniques are not also being employed in the U.K.
God bless you there.
Colin Tyler.
I don’t know that but it sounds like she is on the button.
Another downright stupid idea by a bunch of over paid numptys,sorry i meant ”experts”, these people have no clue about anything, and so the downward spiral continues.
The idea of individuals in society seems to have passed the minds of these Scottish policy makers. Individuals , whether male or female can be both perpetrators or victims of abuse.
Seems like a Feminist long term aim to control the male as adult, starting early. Problem is men are twice as strong as women as adults in most cases.
I am still waiting for an explanation as to why trying to reduce violence against women is anti-Christian as you have stated above. If it’s something that you truly believe you should be able to defend it – so far you haven’t.
Because it is partial and God is no respecter of persons. Honest non-feminist people would be trying to reduce violence against both men and women.
So many objectionable statements here it’ hard to know where to begin : what is un-Christian about trying to tackle the roots of violence, be it female against male, or the, unarguably, far more prevalent male against female? And why is “anti-Christian” lumped together with feminist? Don’t Christians want equality of opportunity between the genders, which is all the feminist movement seeks?
Your vicious and insulting commentary makes me despair !
Hi,
Yes, if the children have their friends, they can play with them and don’t feel lonely. Having a happy childhood is beneficial to foster their tolerant and trusting personality.