Mum labels school 'sexist' for casting daughter as 'Inn Keeper's wife' in nativity

A mum has sparked a debate online after calling out her daughter’s school for casting her as the 'Inn Keeper's Wife' in the Nativity, claiming it is “sexist”.

Writing on parenting site Mumsnet, the woman explained that she was annoyed by the name of the role her six-year-old had been given because her daughter “shouldn't be identified by her relationship to a man.”

“Err...hello!?” she wrote. “This is f***ing not OK! In 2019, to be identified as 'someone's wife'.

“Normally I am pretty relaxed about all things school, and I certainly feel sorry for he teachers' workloads, but come on people!? This is 2019 - no woman should be identified by her relationship to a man!? SURELY!”

The mum concluded her post by saying she was “itching” to take the school to task over the example of “everyday sexism”, claiming it needed to be “called out.”

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But the post seemed to divide other users.

Many disagreed with the mum’s opinion that the school should be challenged about the decision with some labelling her a “snowflake.”

“What do you mean you're sad that this is still going on?? It's the Nativity! It's a very, very old story from the Bible. There are far more offensive things in the Bible than the Inkeepers wife not being given a first name!” one user commented.

“They are teaching kids about a woman who magically got pregnant (although wasn’t she supposed to be 12 when it happened) and you are concerned about your dd [dear daughter] being cast as someone’s wife??” another agreed.

“FFS not everything is a cause, not everything is a feminist issue or outrage,” another user wrote. “It is a nativity that has been going for hundreds of years for god sake. Don't be that parent.”

“I don't see the issue here I'm afraid. The play is set over 2000 years ago when women were somebody's wife,” yet another parent commented.

The original poster later rejoined the discussion to point out that though she appreciates the story is old, she believes “this is how casual everyday feminism gets perpetuated; by people not calling people out on this sh*t!”

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And other parents agreed with the mother about the way the role was described.

“I don’t think you’re ridiculous at all. They could both be ‘Innkeeper’ or ‘Innkeeper couple’,” one user wrote.

“How do people think this paints small children’s view of women? It’s all part of it. All of these little everyday positionings of women.”

“Actually, I do find this outrageous,” another agreed. “What did the innkeeper’s wife do all day? She would have cleaned, cooked, made beds, welcomed guests. She was a fellow innkeeper. Despite all that, as a woman her only status is as the wife.

“It's a dreadful message to send out to children, especially female children.”

Another person wrote: “I see your point. Why not second innkeeper, or landlady? Something that's not "male role = an actual role, female role = male's dependent". How did they cast? Did they consider a girl for the role of innkeeper? etc. It's a small point but pernicious.”

It isn’t the only topic parents have been debating online recently. Earlier this year a stay-at-home mum ignited a discussion after asking if it was reasonable to expect her husband to pay her a salary.

In May, a mum sparked a discussion about whether partners should be allowed to stay overnight in maternity wards after the birth of their baby.

And back in April a woman caused uproar on Mumsnet after complaining that her ex is an “idiot” and she is “worried about the impact of his influence” over her seven-year-old son.