Madam, – While browsing for a child’s present in Smyth’s toy store in Swords, I noticed a section which featured tea-sets, ironing boards, baking equipment, vacuum cleaners and other toy household appliances. The packaging is invariably candy-pink and features only smiling little girls, equally pink. If this were not enough to assure any little boy that he has no business with these kind of toys, a banner running along the shelf proudly proclaimed “Girls Only”.
This kind of marketing serves to reinforce stereotypes we claim to have renounced 30 years ago. It is offensive to girls in its limitations and insulting to boys in its exclusion. We expect our children will grow up to value equality yet we subject them to powerful conditioning from infancy to believe otherwise. It is time we let children decide what colours they like and what toys they enjoy, instead of putting them under pressure to conform to adult notions of what is gender appropriate.
– Yours, etc,