If You Want To Eat Your Cake, First Take Your Dose Of Feminism

When Viv Groskop’s little angel said “Girls are boring,” she took matters into her own hands, and forced her three year old onto a historical walking tour.

I can’t think of a better way to prove girls are exciting than a historical, walking tour… for a three year old.

Is it just me, or is the feminist movement practicing self-harm?

Forced into a world of passive pink, many girls are unhappy with their situations. I was. When I was 11 I wanted to be a boy. They had more fun, were taken more seriously, and had to deal with less mess than I did.

… she can frequently be heard muttering, “Girls are boring. I want to do boys’ things.” I can see her point. Her brother’s life is full of Star Wars, pirates, football and other action-packed phenomena. Vera gets Hello Kitty.

So her cure is to teach her daughter about feminism by way of a three hour walking tour of East London. I know many adults who would balk at the prospect, unsure whether what would give out first — their feet or their will to live. Of course, the three year old went of her own free will.

But I knew how to sell it to Vera. “Would you like to come and find out what lots of important ladies did, and then we’ll have cake?” “Yes,” she replied seriously. “I would like cake.”

The dutiful child learned about a nurse who worked with typhoid and a queen who cared about tuberculous. I can’t decide whether this is more glamorous or action-packed. Vera finally gets to the end of her rope.

“Look at that strong, proud lady, Vera!” I say.

“You said I could have cake,” she says. “I’m cold.”

If Vera is old enough to remember this ordeal, I have no doubt it’ll turn her off feminism for life. Why can’t she play pirates too? Why couldn’t she learn about Jacquotte Delahaye with the fiery red hair who came back from the dead to pillage once more?

For that matter, why can’t she play Han Solo? Or be Vera the ferocious football-playing space pirate?

I discovered that being a woman is a wonderful thing, once I got the hang of it. Little Vera is just beginning to figure out how to be a person, let alone a girl. She doesn’t need to know the difficulties faced by 19th C. nurses just yet.

Let the vast and rich history of the feminist movement come to her in good time. And let’s hope that by the time she’s old enough to be interested in a walking tour of London, there’ll be a lot more for her to soak up.

(If any adults are interested, please find the link about the walking tour here).