EVEN BEFORE YOUR baby is born, well-meaning friends and family can often begin to buy gendered gifts – whether they come in the form of pink baby clothes or toy diggers that have been created specifically for boys.
And when it gets to a stage where they begin to choose their own toys and pick up on advertising, it can get even more complicated.
Earlier this week, the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority released a report that recommended stronger regulation of adverts that feature stereotyped gender roles “which may be harmful to people”.
In response to these, the Advertising Standards Authority in Ireland (ASAI) told TheJournal that they already had guidelines relating to gender equality in place in their Code of Standards:
Marketing communications should respect the principle of equality of men and women. They should avoid gender stereotyping and any exploitation or demeaning of men or women.
However, when it comes to toy advertising, that can often be a different matter – presenting dolls as toys that are exclusively for girls, and vehicles/construction toys as ‘boys-only’.
This is a feature so prevalent that last Christmas this Audi ad went viral (clocking up almost 1.5 million views) for challenging some of the gendered stereotyping involved in marketing for kids toys.
Do you worry about the impact that gendered toy advertisements might have on your child?
What are your thoughts about gendered toys and the way they are marketed to kids? Let us know in the comments.
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