Tuesday 13 June 2017

Girls United


Ella Rose, Amelia Sage and Sela Eve aren't you're typical 11 year-olds. They aren't at the toyshop every Saturday picking the latest Barbie to play with. They're into Star Wars and action figures and they want the world to know that this is more than acceptable.

Annoyed at the fact that it's not socially acceptable for girls to be into boys stuff, the girls have taken their dislike with the 'pink/blue gender divide' to a new level and launched their very own feminist website.

Called 'Girls United' with the streamline, 'Because girls are more than just cute and cuddly,' the website was set up to "level the playing field between girls and boys and prove to companies that both sexes can, and do, have interests beyond their typical stereotypes."

And the best thing about it? Everything about the site is done by the three girls - written, edited and published. There really is no limit with these girls.

Speaking to Stylist.co.uk, Ella said the idea came about to "change the way people think about what a girl is."

"We started the site because we really didn't like all the gender bias we were seeing," Ella says. "I got the Star Wars Monopoly set for my birthday and, even though Rey is the main character, she wasn't in it. That made me really, really mad."

"I love Star Wars, but all the clothes are pink and I hate that."

On the site, the girls from New York, have set up a 'stories' section, dedicated to the tales of angered young girls and how they are sick and tired of the colour pink being the only choice for girls.

Founder Ella, finds that its down to the marketing and how that it "shows girls that they should only like this colour," and that the campaign sends out the message that they "won't like something unless it's pink, which isn't true."

And it's not just a website for girls. The founders want the site to be all inclusive and that's why they recently incorporated a "boys perspective" section.

"If people see that it's only girls on the site they will think we think girls are better than boys, or that if you are a feminist you think girls are better than boys - but that's not true," explains Ella. "Also, gender bias can affect boys as well, if they don't fit into the mould of what a typical boy is supposed to be."

As for the future of Girls United...

The three girls are still accepting story submissions and hope that one day their message of equality will help "push people to finally treat women and girls in the same way as men and boys."

"We think girls and boys should be equal," said Ella.

"We hate this unfair situation and urge all girls to be themselves despite what their surroundings tell them."


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