A mum has slammed her daughter’s school, accusing them of “everyday sexism” in its nativity play. She took to Mumsnet to vent about the school being “backward” for casting her daughter as the innkeeper’s wife.
“Normally I am pretty relaxed about all things school, and I certainly feel sorry for the teachers’ workloads, but come on people,” she said in the post. “No woman should be identified by her relationship to a man. Surely? I’m itching to call them out on this. Itching.
“This is how casual everyday feminism gets perpetuated by people not calling people out on this stuff. It just bothers me that in the core learning place for our kids, this stuff just goes on with no one batting an eyelid.”
Her views met with a decidedly split reaction though, with some feeling that she was overreacting. One user of the parenting site said: “I am itching to tell you that you are being unbelievably ridiculous.”
Another added: “I don’t get the issue here I’m afraid. The play is set over 2000 years ago when women were somebody’s wife.” Meanwhile, people said she should “count herself lucky” that her daughter has a human part with someone saying: “It’s not so bad – my son was usually livestock.”
A user jokingly suggested: “I agree with you. She should be referred to as the Innkeeper’s significant other. If not, insist your daughter is recast as a sheep.” Another: “I don’t see the problem either. Your daughter has an actual role and is not one of the many sheep or angels.”
