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When looking at the shelves in toy retailers, we usually see toys sorted by “target” gender.

In the girls’ aisles we see a massive presence of the pink colour – in every nuance, any kind of dolls, pushchairs, toy kitchens, kitchenware, jewels and makeup, as well as teddy bears and other cuddly toys exclusively intended for girls.

In the boys’ aisles, instead, we will probably find construction kits, toy weapons, superhero gadgets and little monsters like dinosaurs, sharks and snakes, definitely far from the little ponies and the stuffed animals in the girls’ area.

-#toysgenderfriendly

In some countries like Sweden and NorwayItaly has recently added – people have started to wonder whether it is right that children face this gender stereotype so strongly and so early.
Several awareness campaigns (such as “lettoysbetoys” ) have been undertaken, aiming at disseminating the idea of “gender-neutral” toys and at allowing children to feel free to play with the toys that most interest them.

According to the supporters of these campaigns, the proposed stereotypes not only increase the rhetorical worldview of women naturally inclined to household and family tasks and men primarily dedicated to working, but favour a perception which does not correspond with the reality anymore.

More and more children live in families where both parents work and both take care of the household and children.

For these reasons several toy retailers have decided to organize stereotype-free advertising campaigns and propose catalogues where boys and girls play together with dolls and kitchenware, as well as toy weapons and construction kits, in a lot of different colours, not only pink and blue.

-And you? What do you think about this?

Do you agree with people who think toys are not to be designed, produced and sold for one gender only?
Post your comment below.

Livia Martini