Our House
Guest writer Ed Scobie shares with us his thoughts on gender roles when he was growing up.
I have two sisters, one older and one younger so I have always, both mentally and physically been surrounded by strong and fearless women for as long as I can remember.
Not only this but my mother has successfully started and run three businesses (and continues to do so), starting her first one (a Montessori Nursery School) when I was less than a year old. I have grown up with both my parents heading up our family with entirely equal responsibility. My father would bath us whilst my mother was working late – there has never been any specific roles set for any of us as a result of our gender.
It came as a bit of a shock to me as I grew up witnessing the often minor or subtle discrimination towards women, starting I guess from when I was young and at school.
It differed so much from my life at home where my sisters would be just as likely to be playing football than playing with a doll. Equally I would help bake a cake just as often as I would climb a tree.
Both my sisters are driven and focused, they have no concept of not being able to achieve something due to their gender. There is a long line of strong women in my family and all three of us have grown up seeing women achieve just as much, if not more, than the men in my family – so there is never a question of whether something should be done as a result of gender.
I have a hardworking and determined girlfriend, and lots of equally determined female friends, many of whom feature on Ladies-who-Launch and whilst it seems sad that a website like this has to exist, through taking these steps gender equality will be reached.
I am lucky to have never experienced or witnessed gender discrimination in my work life, and I am currently completing my Masters and the gender balance is entirely equal and there is no concept of any advantage or disadvantage as a result of gender – I hope this will continue as I begin working.
I think that men have a huge responsibility to call their friends and colleagues out if they witness any form of discrimination. I feel positive that my generation is breaking barriers down at every step and I am optimistic that the world that future generations are going to grow up in will be as equal as ever.
About Ed: Ed is a landscape architect based in South East London. He went to school with LWL founder Emma Tattersall and has been one of the campaigns advocates since day 1.
His plant of choice is a Quercus Ilex, "a huge beautiful oak tree that looks like a giant olive tree".
Find out more by following @garden.ed on Instagram