Is Amanda Visell’s range of posters (“Show girls they can do anything”):
See more of her work here.
Tagged: Challenging stereotypes, Children, Feminist role models, Strong women
Ouch! I don’t think the Swedish 6th graders would approve of this Boots branch in Belfast.
I know most toy stores in Ireland and the UK have one wall full of pink dresses and all-sorts-of-figures-where-the-main-purpose-is-brushing-its’-hair and another wall full of action figures and miniature building tools. There is usually no mistaking the message.
But SIGNS putting it so blatantly out there? This display must be one of the most blatant reinforcement of gender stereotypes and gender segregation I’ve ever seen.
I happened to stumble upon this story the other day. I know it’s pretty old, but I think it’s such a great story I want to share it anyways!
In 2008, Toys’R'Us were reprimanded for gender discrimination as their Christmas catalogue depicted children in gender stereotypical ways. According to the Ombudsman ensuring that marketing and advertisement comply with guidelines set out by the International Chamber of Commerce the catalogue featured ’outdated gender roles because boys and girls were shown playing with different types of toys, whereby the boys were portrayed as active and the girls as passive’
And who made the complaint?
A group of Swedish 6th graders. The 6th graders particularly reacted to the way all the action toys were modeled by boys and that all the girls in the catalogues were portrayed as passive.
‘Small girls in princess stuff…and here are boys dressed as super heroes. It’s obvious that you get affected by this’
13-year-old Hannes Psajd told the local Swedish newspaper.
‘There wasn’t a single girl in any of the pictures where there was action. The girls were wearing pink clothes and posing in awkward positions.’
he added. Hannes and class mates, we need more people like you!
Ah, how quick it is to burst one’s feminist bubble.
Approaching the till at Superquinn this evening to pay for the Irish Times, I was looking forward to read the ‘Sisters’ supplement; I was prepared to feel proud and to be inspired by the great stories about the struggle for equality and the celebration of feminist victories.
While rooting through my pockets for coins, I noticed a new range of toys for kids promoted at one of the shelves. There were boxes with various carpentry kits and tools, and I felt a prickle of irritation when I noticed that all the pictures on the boxes were of men and boys.
I thought THAT was bad until I picked one up for a closer look…..’Made by Dad and Me’? HOW BLATANTLY SEXIST! Aaaaaarrggh!
Enjoying a gourmet Kid’s Meal in Burger King this evening I got the very imaginative and educational ‘Stardoll’ with the ambitious slogan ‘Fame, fashion and friends’.
As you can see the adventure of this doll (stuck in a square) is to ‘dress’ her in various pieces of fabric.
Exciting!
As there were no children around to spy on for the boy’s toys, I asked the staff who (not making any effort to hide the fact that they thought I was a f****** idiot) informed me it was a Action Man figure. Lucky for him, he wasn’t stuck in a square.
Burger King, and all other producers and promoters of sexist toys, could you please make an effort/do 5 minutes of research before flooding the market with these horrendous girl/boy segregating toys? It’s not that hard, really.
Ever seen these before?
Kinder Surprise has been on the market for 36 years. Around 50 million eggs are sold every year in the UK alone.
Ever seen them in pink and blue wrapping? Didn’t think so.