Its not difficult to spot gender stereotyping. Just stroll into a toy shop or book store. There are stories for girls described as “soft and magical” while boys have versions containing “amazing adventures”. There is a “my handbag” puzzle for girls and a “my toolbox” puzzle for the boys.

These stereotypes, as highlighted by the excellent Let Toys Be Toys campaign, show that the problem goes deeper than simply adhering to the classic ‘pink for girls, blue for boys’. They are pigeonholing both genders from an early age and it’s crucial society tackles the issue. But can we be too draconian in our concerns over the gender divide?



Earlier this week Professor Alice Roberts said she would not allow her daughter to have a princess party, fearing her four-year-old will become obsessed with “girly” stereotypes. An anthropologist and TV presenter, Roberts said the way children are raised has a huge impact on them in later life and that “from a very young age, parents are pushing their boys to achieve in a way they don’t always do for girls.”



Roberts pointed out that only one in five girls take physics at A-level, not because of lack of aptitude but because it is seen as an unfeminine subject. She argues that abiding by gender stereotypes stays with children: they grow up to believe they have a defined set of choices in society.

Professor Alice Roberts holding the brain of a human who may or may not have had a princess party Photograph: Tony Macdonald/BBC/Tony Macdonald

Now it is important that girls should not be conditioned to be only interested in make-up, ponies and shopping while boys get tools, pirates and dinosaurs. But does letting your daughter have a party where everyone dresses up as a princess fit into this? I don’t think so. The trouble with gender stereotyping is choice: labeling toys “for girls” and “for boys” makes children and parents shy away from picking the option marketed for the opposite gender, even if the child would enjoy it. Gender ends up dictating the child’s interests. But what if one year all your little girl really wants is a princess party? By saying no, you once again remove her choice. Liking typically girly things and being good at science don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Why not encourage both interests? Just because she has a birthday at which she wears a princess dress doesn’t necessarily mean she won’t study physics at A-level - as long as she knows she could have a pirate party if she wanted it.



The day I read Roberts’ comments I attended leaving drinks for an old friend of mine. She is heading off to America to begin her post-doc in engineering, with a PhD from Cambridge already under her belt. I attended a number of her princess parties when we were children. It doesn’t seemed to have put her off her career in science one bit. And you never know, it may have helped her enjoy the lighter side of life in later years.



@annamckie