We went to a primary school and turned an art class into a medium. We asked children to draw a firefighter, a surgeon, and a fighter pilot. Out of 66 drawings, 61 were drawn as men and only 5 were drawn as women. What the children didn’t know was that the “teachers” were actually examples of professionals they were asked to draw. When we revealed the truth, their first reaction was utter disbelief. However, after spending valuable time with the professionals, the children started getting inspired.

The live event proved that gender stereotyping starts early but it also confirmed that interaction with role models could change children’s perceptions.

Despite being one of the most advanced nations in the world, the UK has been notoriously remiss in recognizing equal rights for women, especially in the work force. A study by the Fawcett Society in the UK found that 51% of women and men from middle management to director level identify stereotyping as the major hurdle facing women at work. Each year, up to 30,000 women are dismissed from their jobs simply for being pregnant and an estimated 440,000 women lose out on pay or promotion as a result of pregnancy. Moreover, at least 75% of mothers have primary responsibility for childcare in the home. All these figures reinforce the bias that women have no place outside the home and are not identified as professionals.