Would anyone like to join in an effort to convince retailers to stop categorizing toys by gender?

[OneHandWavingFree]

Following on from this thread and similar ones, a few of us are interested in discussing ways to send a message to retailers that it is not acceptable to designate 'boys' and 'girls' toy aisles which reinforce the message that science and adventure are "boys stuff", while girls should be primarily occupied with looking 'sexy' or practicing for domestic drudgery.

The first steps might be to draft a letter and identify a few retailers to target for an email campaign. Other ideas of how to get the message across are very welcome too, though.

Would anyone like to join in?

MrsMushroom not yet. You are witnessing the birth of a new campaign!

AFAIK no one's spoken to mumsnet about becoming official yet, but it's on the to do list

Sainsbury's are a bad example. On their website they have Girls and Boys sections...the girls section has FOUR items under the "construction" sub-title and the boys section has NINETY EIGHT.

The girls construction toys are pink lego. The boys get the rest.

Aufaniae I wonder how they'll react when asked about it! Do you think they'll get behind it?

Sainsbury's Girls Pretend Play Section

Boys Section

Apparently the only thing boys are bothered about pretending to be is a doctor!

MrsMushroom oh that's a real shame about the Sainsbury's website! They've got it so right in my local store.

Their web designers need to take a leaf out of their own store designers' book!

I feel hopeful that Mumsnet will get behind us, it's a great campaign. :)

Yes, I expect their online team is different to the one that arranges things in the shops. Interesting how they can't make the two similar. It shows that even HUGE retailers can have a disparity in their online marketing and their high street.

"It shows that even HUGE retailers can have a disparity in their online marketing and their high street."

Yes, really interesting. I hadn't expected it either, not sure why!

MrsMushroom I'm so glad you joined us! Please get involved with the surveys - the things you've noticed about Sainsbury's search results is exactly the kind of thing we're trying to highlight.

You're right about the overt signposts and the pink/blue coding being two aspects of the exact same issue, of course. It's true we're starting with the most overt way in which retailers segregate toys by gender (with the signs), because we think it's the argument least likely to get sidetracked into a "but what's wrong with pink" type debate. Also, it's completely in the retailer's control and can be changed overnight, whereas the pinkification issue will have to target merchandisers, advertisers, parents, etc. as well so it's a bigger project. We'd like to build some momentum with the removal of gendered signposts as our first success!

But we are tracking colour coding on the survey too, and the results will inform our next steps. :)

We should set up a Twitter account, is there a campaign specific email to sign up with? Or shall I just set it up on one of mine? I'm going to try and link it up to the FB page so it updates automatically.

Oh right...thank you OneHand I've put the surveys in my watch list to do tomorrow.

I'm a bit full on about all this so will have plenty of fodder.

Yes...I see why you're tackling the signs first. They CAN just take the buggers down can't they? unless I do it for them

Oooh 98 'Likes' :)

I'm standing by with to toast #100! Would anyone like to join me?

Ooh! Twitter! The great voice of the people. They were saying on Radio 4 the other day that Twitter affords ordinary people more power than any other form of media ever has before.

If you can harness the power of twitter you can get a lot done. So fingers crossed.

I'm off the booze as upduffed!

I'll definitely join you in a virtual though, I can have as much as I like of that

Ooh, nearly there!

One more to go...

feeling a bit parched... maybe if we bump the thread..

101 !! all around (you too, preggers :) )

Well done everyone!

Woop! 101!

Yay! Congratulations everyone!

Mmmmm even virtual tastes good!

well done to you all for starting this. Am v pleased to be here and to see what happens!

I think that's a damn good start for the first day, here's to keeping the momentum going!

I think I was the 100th :o or possibly 101st...

Fantastic page :)

OHWF
Point taken re. the keeping the focus onto our main aim of taking the signs down. I guess if we want to respond to any debates that arise on the FB page we can post as ourselves but when posting as admin it would be best to keep to the point of the display signs and how they unnecessarily limit choice. I totally get that.

The only problem I have with the one and only aim = "for boys/ for girls " signs is that in many places the signs don't have explicit wording but will have clear pictures of only boys OR only girls which is effectively the same as explicit wording. Eg. The construction aisle in ToysRUs has a massive label poster with 4 jumping boys, not a single girl to be seen, which is just as, if not more exclusive than a worded label.

Now you're gonna say "baby steps, Casey, baby steps!" I know I know!