Big Questions In Honour Of Her

There may only be one International Women’s Day, but you don’t have to wait until it comes around to take on big questions with a little thinker. Wonderful conversation and the critical thinking skills that result from it are always reason to celebrate.

While we’re paying tribute to women around the world today, past and present, why not ponder a few of these gems?

·      Why do we dress girls and pink and boys in blue? Do colours actually have genders, or is it something we made up? Do toys, sports, food, movies, and books need to have gender? What would happen if we just thought of all these things as just stuff?

·      Is it fair to tell someone they can or can’t do things because they are one gender or another (or neither)?

·      Can you find an example of a great thinker who doesn’t get talked about much because she was a girl or a woman? What did we miss out on by not learning about her?

·      If we can think less about male/female, and more about just being people, can we make that work in other situations too? Could it help us include lots of different people who might be left out?   

As always, be sure to give everyone a chance to speak, and make it known that explaining why we think the things we think is key. It’s okay to admit we don’t know, and it’s perfectly fine to keep having a conversation in little bits over the span of days (or weeks, or months). With any luck, this handful of questions will only lead to more questions. Above all, send the message that these questions are for thinkers of any age and any gender. Philosophy and the thinking skills it fosters are for everyone!

If you want to keep the conversation going, be sure to check out our Wall of Wonder learning page for interactive activities on the subject, and our I Was Wondering video series, that features some amazing female thinkers.

Happy thinking!