Video reveals gender stereotyping is still rife in children

Youngsters as young as seven years old were asked to act out various job roles, with one little boy captured reaching for a wig and announcing that nurses have a high-pitched voices.
By Martin Winter
Published 21st Feb 2024, 15:15 GMT

Girls were also asked to pretend to be builders – with one adopting a male voice and both claiming to be ‘very grumpy’ sitting there with false moustaches stuck to their faces.

At the end of the video, the group of seven-year-olds from St Albans and St Stephen Primary School were surprised by a real-life female pilot after describing people in the profession to be ‘tall’ and ‘big’ with names such as ‘John’ and ‘James’.

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The video was created to launch easyJet’s 2024 Pilot Training Program, as the airline aims to tackle the gender stereotypes and inspire more women to consider a career in aviation.

It comes after a poll of 2,000 parents and their primary school children, found youngsters still think men are more likely to be builders and lorry drivers while women are typically nurses and hairdressers. Firefighters, plumbers and farmers were also believed to be jobs for men, with 52 per cent of the belief pilots are mainly male.

More than half of parents and their children believe most pilots are maleMore than half of parents and their children believe most pilots are male
More than half of parents and their children believe most pilots are male

Debunking gender myths

While florists, teachers and singers were considered to be professions for women, and as many as 47 per cent of mums and dads think their kids have already formed an opinion on the careers available to them.

And 59 per cent believe there is still a mistaken belief that a career as a pilot is something for men, and not women.

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Captain Rebecca Epton, an easyJet pilot, said: “This research clearly shows children are still forming opinions on the jobs available to them at a very young age, with views still reflecting outdated gender stereotypes. With over two fifths of children still never having seen a female pilot, it was a wonderful opportunity to meet the children from St Albans and St Stephen Primary School and ensure we’re inspiring all children to reach their full potential. 

“This is something easyJet has been focused on for a number of years, with our pilots visiting hundreds of schools and colleges across the country to challenge these stereotypes at school age and is something we’ll continue to do alongside other action, to ensure we are driving increased diversity within the profession for the long term.”

Top 15 jobs kids think are traditionally male

  1. Builder
  2. Lorry driver
  3. Mechanic
  4. Football player
  5. Firefighter
  6. Plumber
  7. Electrician
  8. Farmer
  9. Engineer
  10. Astronaut
  11. Pilot
  12. Police
  13. Doctor
  14. Scientist
  15. Chef 

Top 15 jobs kids think are traditionally female

  1. Nurse
  2. Hairdresser
  3. Beautician
  4. Florist
  5. Teacher
  6. Singer
  7. Librarian
  8. Cabin Crew
  9. TV presenter
  10. Vet
  11. Dentist
  12. Author
  13. Doctor
  14. Chef
  15. Scientist
Related topics:NursesVideoYoungstersParentsAirline