Children Address Gender Inequality in Controversial Video

Several young children make it clear that gender inequality needs to end in advocacy T-shirt company FCKH8.com’s shocking viral video.

In FCKH8.com’s new controversial charity fundraising video, five girls between the ages of 6 and 13, dressed as princesses make it clear that gender discrimination needs to end. How they do so is very controversial.

The young girls in the video rail against continued gender discrimination in spite of our society’s legalized equality of the sexes. Dropping swear words frequently throughout the video, the girls remind viewers that women still receive lower compensation for equal work compared to men, and that one in five women are sexually assaulted every year. The girls also argue that women should be valued for more than just their physical attributes.

My verdict? I am not in favour of the liberal use of swear words by young children, but I do think the video serves a purpose. It caught my attention and conveyed the message loud and clear that the fight against sexism is far from over. While parents may be dismayed at the use of swear words by young children, the video itself doesn’t actually advocate that children should use foul language in such a casual manner. The words are simply used as a wake-up call; a means to call attention to what is (and should be) more shocking than the words themselves: gender discrimination and rape. That point is clearly conveyed, especially during a non-comedic moment in the video when the little girls count down from the sexual assault statistic of one in five women, asking “which one of us will it be?” This brings the point of the video home.

Aside from advocating for equal pay and safety for women, the video also opens up further discussion on the topic of gender discrimination, and this is far more interesting than the sight of young girls swearing. Thought-provoking points in the video are made about how a focus on being “pretty” can “work to girls’ detriment” despite the fact that the word is commonly used as a compliment. As the girls state, this is a tricky issue and certainly worth debating (should we re-evaluate how girls are complimented?).

The video also features a 12 year-old boy dressed like a princess, arguing against “bro” language that makes “acting like a girl” seem like a bad thing. This language, like the word “pretty,” is often thought of as harmless, but the need to re-evaluate the use of gendered words and phrases is a valid point. The ethnic diversity featured in the video also demonstrates that gender discrimination is an issue for everyone.