Apparently Woolworths Australia is the only store holding out on making toys — toys of all things — gender neutral. That is, not boys toys and girls toys, but just toys.
Thea Hughes of Play Unlimited has been waging a campaign to make toys gender neutral. The idea is that play should just be play, not marked out by unassailable gender barriers.
Kids should be free to decide which toys interest them, without being informed by gendered marketing that something is ‘for them’ or ‘not for them’. Gendered marketing limits our children’s right to determine their own idea of fun!
It’s a pretty good argument to be honest, and will give a lot more freedom for kids to be just, well, kids. Does it cosmically speaking matter if your son plays with dolls (well, he does if he’s playing with Action Man/GI Joe/Marvel & DC Superheroes). Gender policing starts early and it doesn’t have to.
Listen to the show on the ABC website.
