Princess Or Pilot? British Airways Criticised For ‘Promoting’ Gender Stereotype

princess

by Anna Brech |
Published on

Miriam González Durántez had British Airways firmly in her crosshairs recently, after she happened to browse their in-flight magazine while waiting for a delayed journey.

The Spanish lawyer, who is married to former MP Nick Clegg, was dismayed to see a Disney Frozen watch described as "perfect... for your little princess".

Taking to Instagram to air her feelings, Miriam shared a screenshot of the offending item alongside the caption:

"When you have a 2.30 hours delay in a British Airways flight (what is happening to this airline!?) open the inflight shop magazine and want to scream: STOP-CALLING-GIRLS-LITTLE-PRINCESSES!! It cannot be so difficult for an airline to get this right..."

Miriam Gonzalez Durantez
The article in question: Miriam was not amused ©Getty

The post struck a chord with a number of Miriam's followers, who agreed that gender stereotyping was not a good look for the airline.

"It's so frustrating!" one person wrote. "It's telling little girls that's what they should aspire to be, but they're the pilots of tomorrow!"

"Grrrrrr. Come on our girls can be so much more!" another remarked.

Responding to Miriam's comment, a spokesman for British Airways told the Telegraph: "As the airline with the most female pilots in the UK we wholeheartedly agree that stereotypes should be challenged.

"Like Miriam González Durántez our female pilots and engineers act as strong role models and regularly visit schools and colleges as part of the airline's campaign to inspire and encourage more young women to consider non-traditional aviation careers."

Miriam Gonzalez Durantez
©Getty

A card-carrying feminist, Miriam is a vocal advocate of gender equality. She is chair of Inspiring Girls, an enterprise dedicated to elevating the aspirations of young women around the world by connecting them to each other, and leading female role models.

She's frequently challenged tired old gender expectations, and notions of men and women's roles.

"There are many, many dinosaurs that still think that a man who takes care of his own children, he is some kind of less of a man," she once commented. "So if you and other modern working fathers could start saying not only loudly, but also proudly, that taking care of your own children and being responsible for those children does not affect your level of testosterone – and that men who actually treat women as equals are the ones with more cojones."

Unlike other politicians' spouses, Miriam hasn't tended to accompany her husband on the campaign trail - "I don’t have the luxury of having a job that I can simply abandon for five weeks" - and objects to being described as "Mrs Clegg" (she has not, in fact, changed her name in any case).

"It's just not on. We are not defined by who we have married or who we sleep with," she says.

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"We are not defined by who we have married or who we sleep with" ©Rex

Her husband - with whom she shares three sons - lost his Sheffield seat in a tightly fought race in last month's general election. Miriam, meanwhile, continues to fly the flag for women everywhere, as well as keeping down her day job.

"If we do not have children, people assume we are 'frustrated,'" she says. "If we stay at home taking care of our children, it is said we are 'not working'. If we have a job, we are portrayed as just 'part-time mums', and sometimes even as bad parents. If we succeed in our professional lives, we’re branded 'scary,'"

We couldn't have put it better ourselves.

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