An angry mother has criticised a discount store for selling “tiny” shorts for one-year-old girls, saying little children are not “sex objects”.
The example of supposed gender bias was clear when Nikita Friedman held up a pair of girl’s shorts next to the pair of boy’s shorts for the same age.
In a Facebook post Ms Friedman from Queensland, Australia wrote that “gender bias is disgusting”.
“Why on earth does my 1 year old need to have shorts so short that her nappy is hanging out???”
“I couldn’t find a single pair of shorts in the girl’s section today with an inseam of more than a couple of cm,” she added.
The post received support from thousands of people. One comment from Tammy Helen Scott read: “And sadly the older girls get the worse it often is.”
Another reader called for more variety and more modest options for older girls and women in stores, too, saying she had to go to the “more expensive stores” to find what she needed.
Big W responded to the complaint, saying it will discuss the matter with the department responsible for buying kidswear.
“Big W takes all commentary from our customers very seriously,” it read.
Gender bias has been found across many product ranges for children, including home decor and toys. A campaign group called Let Toys Be Toys, which fights against the traditional blue for boys and pink for girls culture, was awarded a prize for scientific research in Sweden.
