Women in Art 278 Magazine January 2016 | Page 7

from the editor Shaping our Reality Shopping for a baby offers a stark (and rather foreboding) reality between birthing a daughter and a son. Girls are offered clothing that is pink, frilly, princess-themed and the like. Boys are offered superhero outfits, designs featuring police, firemen, vehicles (motorcycles, trucks, etc). We indoctrinate parents into gender norms as well as the children who will wear the clothing. It’s perplexing that boys, in my culture, wear bold colors (reds and blues) and girls wear softer hues – typically shades of pastels. I feel the color palette relates directly to the tolerance we have in shaping children’s personalities – boys are permitted to be loud and bold but girls are taught to be quiet, respectful and supportive (as opposed to authoritative / leadership roles). Although unorthodox, I dress my daughter in both “boys” and “girls” clothing because I don’t want to confine my daughter to a particular set of “rules” or societal expectations. It’s not that I don’t acknowledge her gender; rather the opposite is true. I want to raise strong, proud, educated, knowledgeable girls who have a Of course, the attire for babies is just the beginning … being a breastfeeding mother in this country