Target puts an end to gendered products for children - Women's Agenda

Target puts an end to gendered products for children

Girls are pretty and sweet, they like pink frilly things and pseudo babies to nurture. Boys are strong and aggressive, they like to build things and kill things.

Right?

Um. No.

The insidious messages that create those stereotypes are scattered all over our children’s lives. Many of them in ways we barely even recognise. All of them reinforcing the gender roles that do so much damage to both boys and girls: Boys don’t cry. Girls don’t yell. Boys aren’t gentle. Girls aren’t strong. Boys are destructive. Girls are compliant. Boys want power. Girls want to be pretty.

It would be easier to dismiss such ideas (as many have done in the past) if the things we know about gendered violence, power and financial security didn’t reflect them so tragically.

Target in the USA has been told, in no uncertain terms, that their customers are no longer willing to tolerate gendered labelling on children’s toys.

 

Target have responded to the push, which was driven in large part by social media, by declaring that they will move away from the practice of gendering their children’s products.

“We heard you, and we agree. Right now, our teams are working across the store to identify areas where we can phase out gender-based signage to help strike a better balance. For example, in the kids’ Bedding area, signs will no longer feature suggestions for boys or girls, just kids. In the Toys aisles, we’ll also remove reference to gender, including the use of pink, blue, yellow or green paper on the back walls of our shelves. You’ll see these changes start to happen over the next few months.”

It’s a step in the right direction. Let’s hope other stores, particularly here in Australia, will follow their lead.

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