Tui Airways under fire from equality campaigners for ‘sexist’ stickers Staff handed out “future captain” stickers to boys and “future cabin crew” to girls.

Tui Airways has been lambasted by equality campaigners after handing out children’s stickers branded “sexist”.

Airline staff on a flight from Paphos in Cyprus to Bristol were spotted giving “Future Captain” and “Future Cabin Crew” stickers to kids.

But when the plane landed it became apparent the stickers had been dished out with a gender divide. Boys were given the captain sticker and girls the cabin crew one.

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Sexist stickers

Now a leading charity campaigning for gender equality, The Fawcett Society, has accused the holiday company of “sexist messaging”.

Fawcett chief executive Sam Smethers said: “We are speechless. Is Tui aware it is 2018? Only 6 per cent of pilots in the UK are women.

“And we wonder why numbers are so shockingly low when young girls are being fed sexist messaging such as this.”

The society is not the only one to call out Tui over its gender stereotyping.

Sophie Walker, leader of political group The Women’s Equality Party, wrote on Twitter: “Airline company with biggest UK pay gap tells little boys they can be pilots and little girls they can be cabin crew.

“That’ll be the same company with lots of empty seats next year, then.”

‘Little things like this take us backwards’

Dame Gillian Morgan, chair of NHS providers, was on the flight from Paphos to Bristol on 15 August when she saw the stickers being distributed.

“We are speechless. Is Tui aware it is 2018?” Sam Smethers

The trained doctor and scientist said as she went through passport control she realised the boys were given ‘Future Pilot’ stickers and the girls had received ‘Future Cabin Crew’.

She told Metro.co.uk: “The stickers were gender neutral but it’s the way that they were handed out that makes it complicated.

“It happens implicitly all the time. The boys can have the Lego, the space rocket going to the moon, and the girls can have a little pony.

“We desperately need more women to do science, maths and engineering but little things like this take us backwards by providing restricting roles.

“It actually stops us as a country, getting the best out of our workforce.”

Dame Morgan is not alone in noticing the sticker divide.

‘Simple mix-up’

In July, Linzi Walker posted on Twitter: “Lovely touch by @TUIUK flying out to Corfu Friday by giving children TUI stickers and activity sheet.

“Not so lovely that all the boys were given “future pilot” stickers and the girls “future cabin crew”?! Sexist much?”

Last night a Tui spokeswoman said: “We’re sorry to hear a small number of customers have been upset by this.

“We think it has just been a simple mix-up since our future pilot and cabin crew stickers are designed for use for any child regardless of gender.

“The stickers are part of our activity packs which are intended to be used by crew to interact, engage with and create special moments for our customers on their holiday.

“The feedback we’ve had so far this summer has been overwhelmingly positive.

“Children fall in love with flying when they go on their holidays with us and we want to encourage their dreams of becoming future pilots and crew members.”