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British Psychologist Teams Up With Miriam González’s Charity Inspiring Girls To Take On Sexist Messaging In Kid’s Fashion
UK social enterprise Not Just A Princess® is tipped to disrupt the status quo of the kid’s fashion world with its own range of gender positive t-shirts, whilst providing an online inspirational career hub for young girls.
Founder, Business Psychologist and Mum, Jennifer Toll is calling for a step change in harmful widespread gender sexist messaging on kid’s clothing. Not Just A Princess® is on a mission to put the science behind fashion, demonstrating why what we write on our children’s clothes is important in forming future expectations.
To help turn the tide, the start-up and challenger brand is launching exclusive career stereotype-smashing organic t-shirts (RRP: £16.00) for young girls. Available in sizes from six months up to eight years, the t-shirts are all 100% organic cotton and printed in the UK. The enterprise has the backing of Miriam González Durántez’s Charity Inspiring Girls International. The charity is dedicated to raising the aspirations of young girls around the world by connecting them with female role models. Their campaign involves face-to-face or virtual sessions between girls in schools (aged 10-15) with women talking about their careers, plus hosting industry-insight events. Currently in 36 locations across 9 countries, Inspiring Girls is open to any country to join the campaign. From each sale of a t-shirt 12.5% is donated to Inspiring Girls International.
Oxfordshire-based entrepreneur, Jennifer Toll, started the brand when she noticed the options for her daughter’s clothing were very different to what was available for boys. She wanted to create aspirational alternatives to princesses, fairies and mermaids.
The social enterprise hosts its very own online hub detailing job profiles and information that challenges gender career related clichés. This easily accessible hub profiles a day in the life of a Firefighter, an Engineer, a Surgeon – all ‘not just for the boys’ jobs – encouraging young girls to consider a full range of career options and the ambition to fulfil them.
Not Just A Princess plans to expand the enterprise in 2019 by developing its career hub with professions in which men are currently underrepresented such as nursing and teaching.
Psychologist and Founder of Not Just A Princess, Jennifer Toll commented: “We want to put a stop to the rampant sexism in the children’s clothing industry. This idea goes beyond blatant sexism – it’s about the fact that girl’s clothes are often just ‘cute’ and ‘pretty’. The messaging on boys clothing is ‘cool’, ‘boys will be boys’ or ‘superstar’.
“It’s no surprise that women grow up with a different level of confidence and a heightened need for perfectionism than men and we wonder why women make up only 23% of those in core STEM occupations in the UK? We’ve got to create more equal mindsets in girls and boys and clothing messages is a great place to start.
“Clothing is of course just one facet in the complex system of sexism and projection of stereotypes – but it’s one of the easiest that we can do something about through the Not Just A Princess movement. A close look at the high street shows you that we have a long way to go.”
Inspiring Girls International Founder and Chair, Miriam González Durántez said: “Issues such as the pressure of labels and the lack of access to female role models affect most girls all around the world. Inspiring Girls wants to raise their aspirations, to feel free to make their own choices. We have partnered with Not Just A Princess because they are challenging these labels by creating inspirational, gender-positive clothing for kids. By joining forces, we hope to break down existing gender stereotypes, and encourage girls to explore some of the careers that women are still under-represented in. This is a fantastic partnership and we are delighted to have Not Just A Princess supporting Inspiring Girls. Together, we can inspire the next generation of women.”
The ideal Christmas gift, the Not Just A Princess t-shirts are available to buy now online at www.notjustaprincess.co.uk
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