Swedish Children Push Back On Gender Stereotyping

categories: Economy, Global Feminism, Pop Culture

Published October 12, 2009 @ 07:58PM PT

Well, this is hopeful for the future of gender equality. Swedish children are filing a complaint against Toys R Us for gender stereotyping in their Christmas catalogue.

I have to applaud this effort since these children are the market for the toys being sold. By pushing back on corporations who try to improve their bottom line by selling toys to tots without a progressive understanding of the world children want to inhabit deserve to get some coal in their stocking this holiday season. The world is a changing place and just as people need evolve, so do toys it would seem.

Here are more details from The Local:

According to the youngsters, the Toys"R"Us Christmas catalogue featured "outdated gender roles because boys and girls were shown playing with different types of toys, whereby the boys were portrayed as active and the girls as passive", according to a statement from Ro.

The group's teacher explained to the local Smålandsposten newspaper that filing the complaint was the culmination of more than two years of "long-term work" by the students on gender roles.

Thumbing through the catalogue, 13-year-old Hannes Psajd explained that he and his twin sister had always shared the same toys and that he was concerned about the message sent by the Toys"R"Us publication.

"Small girls in princess stuff...and here are boys dressed as super heroes. It's obvious that you get affected by this," he told the newspaper.

Perhaps it is possible that we will out-age discrimination one day if these efforts are any indication. For now, however, the immediate lesson learned: beware of offending the innocent 6th grader - they might just sue you.

And now, just imagine how they will act when they hit the workplace and things aren't all fun and games...

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Comments (2)

Thank you for posting this! I have 2 nieces in Sweden.... :)

Posted by Holly Swint on 10/14/2009 @ 07:25PM PT
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How cool can these kids be. This is great. Kudos to these kids.

Posted by Cynthia Davis on 10/14/2009 @ 07:49PM PT
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Author

Jen Nedeau is a social media consultant, progressive activist, feminist speaker and writer. She currently lives in New York City, where she works full-time as the Director of Digital Strategy at Air America Media. In August 2008, Nedeau was selected to be the Editor of the WomensRights.Change.Org where she facilitates daily discussion about the feminist movement. Additionally, Nedeau volunteers as the Chief Technology Officer for New Leaders Council, a non-profit that offers exclusive training for young leaders. You can follow her on Twitter @HumanFolly or learn more here: www.jennedeau.com.