A regular patron of the grocery store chain ALDI has lashed out at the company for selling two children's books that, in her opinion, perpetuate outdated gender stereotypes.

Sharing her thoughts on Twitter, the Aussie woman said that she was "disappointed" after she noticed some specific detail upon taking a closer look at the books that were available at her neighbourhood store.

The first book was titled "What Can He Be?" and featured a picture of a young boy dressed as an astronaut. The second book was titled "What Can She Be?" and featured a picture of a young girl dressing up as a veterinarian on the front cover.

Both books were written for children. However, the lady brought up the point that the books contribute to the perpetuation of harmful gender stereotypes in public places like shopping malls.

The user wrote on Twitter that she was 'disappointed’ with ALDI Australia, saying: "Why the difference? Girls can be astronauts and surgeons!"

She also suggested that the manufacturers should ask the children gender-neutral questions, such as "What can you be?" rather than pigeonholing them into specific job descriptions.

An ALDI customer says these two books contain outdated gender stereotypes. Credit: Twitter.​

When another person asked if the book included the girl character dressed as an astronaut on one of the pages inside, the woman insisted that it didn't.

"I opened and checked," she explained, adding, "It didn't, which irritated me even more. Apart from the fact that it's past time to make the switch to a non-binary format."

The woman's frustration was shared by a large number of other people on social media who felt the same way about the "harmful gender stereotyping" done by the well-known retailer.

One user wrote in the comments, "For the most part, ALDI is a good choice, but this has left me disappointed." A second one agreed and added, "Sigh… there's no need for this."

Meanwhile, a fellow Aussie wrote on Twitter: "I'm afraid that harmful gender stereotyping and effective misogyny are pervasive and internalised by the general public, as well as, unfortunately, many school teachers."

"The question I always ask myself is, 'Who is profiting from this?' Aldi and other retail chains are the answer," the person went on to say.

On the other hand, some people thought that the woman was overreacting and that the books were harmless.

"It's not like they are saying girls can't be astronauts. They are just showing a boy doing it," one Twitter user commented. Another one added, "I think this is a bit of an overreaction. I don't think there is any malice in these books."

Although the feedback on the books has been shared with the appropriate team at ALDI Australia, the company has not issued a statement regarding the matter as of yet.

What are your thoughts, folks? Do you think that these books perpetuate 'harmful' gender stereotypes, especially among children, or is this a lot of fuss about nothing? Let us know in the comments below!

 

[Ezzy]

I never knew that, I thought how cute they are, nothing else!

Me too Ricci.