Womens' equality

I was lying in bed drinking my mug of tea when I heard an item on the news which made me sit up. Luckily I did not spill the tea. It was a woman telling girls that they should take up cheerleading to get exercise. There appeared to be no hint what this implied. It means the girls putting on small skirts and tight blouses to stand waving pom poms at the side of the pitch while their men go out to play sport. Sport is not for girls. Leave it to the macho men. It has always stuck me as strange that in the land where feminism is entrenched there is still this idea that women should stand around and cheer on their men.
Then I got to thinking further. There is still a tendency in the shops to have areas for girls toys and for boys toys.Girls have dolls etc. boys have cars. The packaging for girls is pink, for boys blue. Even Lego has gone along with this trend in designing Lego for girls and boys.

In my latest fantasy novel Princess Daphne, King Ironbrew of the Iron Hills dwarfs said. “ Bancudgel why did you let Dustin and Organta go with this Edward Eastland? Especially Organta. Fighting is no business of a female dwarf. They should be at home providing a comfortable place for the dwarfs to return to. Their place in life is to cook, clean and look after males needs. That includes producing an heir.”

It strikes me that in a great deal of society this is still the case. What a great deal of talent and skill is being wasted.