Danish Toymaker, Lego To Discard Gender Stereotypes From Its Toys

One of the world’s largest toymakers, Lego has pledged to remove gender stereotypes from its products and marketing campaigns based on the results of a worldwide survey. Lego announced earlier this week that it aims to make gender-neutral toys that work on eliminating gender stereotypes reinforced in children’s formative years. A global survey the company commissioned found that while girls were becoming keener in exploring a plethora of activities, irrespective of the traditional gender stereotypes associated with those, boys were still playing only with the so-called masculine toys.

Around 70 per cent of the young boys surveyed said they fear being ridiculed if they play with ‘girly’ toys – and parents were afraid of the same. “Parents are more worried that their sons will be teased than their daughters for playing with toys associated with the other gender,” said Madeline Di Nonno, the chief executive of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, who conducted the research.

However, Di Nonno observed that this is also because male behaviours have been seen as more valuable in society. “Until societies recognise that behaviours and activities typically associated with women are as valuable or important, parents and children will be tentative to embrace them,” Di Nonno explained.

The study further found that parents were highly responsible for building gender stereotypes, by encouraging boys to participate in sports, science and maths and pushing girls towards more creative activities such as dance and dressing up. “These insights emphasise just how ingrained gender biases are across the globe,” said Geena Davis, the actor and activist who set up the institute.

Since these toys offer training opportunities, the gender stereotypes associated with them can deprive both boys and girls of developing certain skills.

The Danish toymaker now aims to encourage both boys and girls to develop nurturing and caring as well as spatial awareness and problem-solving skills. “Our job now is to encourage boys and girls who want to play with sets that may have traditionally been seen as ‘not for them’,” said Julia Goldin, the chief product and marketing officer at the Lego Group.