EU report targets ‘traditional’ images of mothers and fathers

Books which portray ‘traditional’ images of mothers caring for their children or fathers going out to work could be banned if a European Parliament report on gender equality is implemented.

An EU report claims that ‘gender stereotyping’ in schools influences the perception of the way boys and girls should behave and damages women’s career opportunities in the future, the Daily Mail reports.

The report has been slammed as “politically correct nonsense” by one MEP, while other critics claimed that the report's proposals to amend ‘study materials’ so that men and women are no longer depicted in their traditional roles could mean the withdrawal of children’s classics, such as Enid Blyton’s The Famous Five series, Paddington Bear or Peter Pan.

The report says: ‘Children are confronted with gender stereotypes at a very young age through television series, television advertisements, study materials and educational programmes, influencing their perception of how male and female characters should behave.

[link to www.ionainstitute.ie]