When eight-year-old Snæfríður Edda visited H&M in Smáralind shopping centre, she was dismayed to find space-themed t-shirts were only on sale in the boys’ section, RÚV reports. She decided to write the store an open letter about the matter, which her mother shared on Facebook. In the letter, Snæfríður asks H&M why girls can’t walk into the girls’ section and find space t-shirts, and what message the company wanted to send to girls.
In an interview with RÚV, Snæfríður said she was “a little annoyed” when she arrived at H&M to find there were no space shirts in the girls’ section. “I just want to show that girls don’t always have to wear pink and skirts or something, and they can also become astronauts,” she added.
Snæfríður Edda is very interested in outer space and is already preparing for her career as an astronaut. “I’ve started to do quite a bit of math. Because astronauts have to be smart and good at calculations,” she stated.
Readers can watch the interview with Snæfríður (in Icelandic) here.
The translation of her letter is below:
Hi H&M,
I went to your store for the first time yesterday.
It was fun.
But, I have one question.
Why are all the space t-shirts in the boys’ section?
Do you think girls aren’t interested in space?
I am an 8-year-old girl and want to become an astronaut. I’m sure that Valentina Tereshkova and Sally Ride were very interested in space when they were eight years old.
Laika was also a girl!
Why can’t girls go into the girls’ section and find space t-shirts?
What message do you want to send girls?
Please consider the matter.
Best wishes,
Snæfríður Edda
