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#everydaysexism... against men: Five times dads hit back at gender stereotyping

Is that a dad multi-tasking? Never - Alamy
Is that a dad multi-tasking? Never - Alamy

Have you ever looked at the Twitter hashtag #everydaysexism? It collates examples of social behaviour that makes stereotypical assumptions about the sexes. Normally, it's women who are seen to be unfairly diminished – the victims of objectification, or imbalanced treatment.

However, that's not to say men aren't ever on the receiving end of #everydaysexism. As an online furore over a  Harvey Nichols advert (tagline: ‘Great men go down’) has shown this week, men can also be the victims of gender stereotyping and objectification.

Some men were quick to point out the double standards implicated in the sign, explaining that there was no way the department store would get away with a sign that reversed the genders.

Small fry in comparison to the long history of female subjugation, perhaps, but the Harvey Nicks fallout proves that men today are more attuned to the argument over gender stereotying.

One of the main attitudes affecting men in this regard is around the concept of fatherhood, and the way that society assumes the dad is the secondary (and therefore less important) carer. As the following examples show, dads (and mums) are starting a fightback against this form of #everydaysexism...

'Mother and Baby' aisle

The issue of slighted dads was ignited last week by a Facebook post from a frustrated single-parent father, who pointed out supposed gender stereotyping on health retailer Superdrug's website, where users can find a 'mother and baby' section but no such alternative section for men. In his post, Dave Darby wrote: "I find this somewhat derogatory towards fathers and their children and respectfully ask that this is changed to parent and baby. thus making it politically correct and also Superdrug acknowledging that men can also be single parents."

The comment illicited a reply from Superdrug, who said that they were currently having discussions on making their site more inclusive.

No baby change in men's toilets

In 2016, father-of-three Al Ferguson from Kent launched a campaign trying to persuade high street stores and restaurants to provide baby changing facilities that dads can access. Often, the baby changing equipment is located in the women's toilets.

 Ferguson made an undercover film, secretly recording the problems he faced while asking shop assistants if they had a changing area where he could change and clean up his 18-month old son Ted.

Speaking to The Telegraph at the time, Ferguson said: “I soon learned that many dads have been in situations whereby they have not been able to safely and hygienically change their own baby’s nappy when out and about. Society is going through a cultural shift seeing more and more dads take active, hands on roles in parenting and public facilities need to reflect this."

Daddy proof onesie

With fatherhood comes multiple challenges – the sleepless nights, finding a nappy change facility, working out where the baby's head goes in a onesie. The last challenge on that list is according to US retailer Sara Kety, with one disgruntled daddy taking his umbrage to social media site Reddit at the sale of one of their onesies emblazoned with the words, 'This shirt is daddy-proof'. The shirt had arrows pointing to where the head and arms of a baby should go when wearing the shirt. 

Because 'daddys' struggle figuring out how to manage that with their own shirts, let alone their children's.

Doctor's appointments

In November 2017, Jo and Billy Martin accused a pediatric surgeon for "sexist remarks" for penning a letter congratulating the father on taking their daughter to a doctor's appointment while the mother was ill. The surgeon wrote: "Unfortunately her mum could not be at the clinic visit today as she has not been well and father stepped in manfully."

They shared the letter on social media, and said it amounted to double standards because the hospital would never have used the word 'womanfully' in the same context.

'Less work for mum' school uniforms

In a lose-lose situation all around, high-street chain Marks & Spencer became embroiled in a sexism row in March last year when labelling the back of easy-wash school uniforms as "less work for mum".

Mums who are usually lumbered with the school wash responsibilities were unimpressed, as were the dads who disregarding the stereotype take an active part in the washing of school uniforms (I mean come on, where's their prize?)

Fathers 4 Justice, a group campaigning for equal parenting rights, called the advertising "prehistoric".