As a purpose-driven company, our mission is to create innovative products and experiences that inspire, entertain, and develop children through play. As part of that, we want to make the faces of all children light up, not only with the joy of play, but with that spark of seeing themselves and others represented.

We are striving to live this mission each day through the inclusive toys and characters we create. Toys like the Hot Wheels remote-controlled wheelchair that honours US Paralympian and five-time Wheelchair Motocross World Champion Aaron “Wheelz” Fotheringham, as well as our Wheelz scale model of his iconic green chair.

Like many children, Aaron went down his first ramp at a local skate park when he was eight years old. But he wasn’t on a skateboard or scooter, he was in a wheelchair he’d just started to use permanently. Those inspirational early days at the skatepark when he could be creative spurred him on to become a wheelchair athlete – and we hope our collaboration will help to inspire and empower the next generation to explore the wonder of childhood and reach their full potential.

Representing children with disabilities

On 3 December, the United Nations (UN) marks the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which serves to promote the rights and wellbeing, as well as raise awareness, of people living with a disability.

As explained in COFACE Families Europe’s report “From Words to Action: shedding light on the S.H.I.F.T. towards meaningful inclusion in Europe”, Mattel is proud to support the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Article 5 “Equality and non-discrimination”; Article 7 “Children with disabilities”; Article 8 “Awareness-raising”; and Article 9 “Accessibility”.

Around one in 10 children and young people worldwide have a disability, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Children with disabilities are 51% more likely to feel unhappy and 41% more likely to feel discriminated against than children without disabilities. We believe that representing all children through inclusive toys is hugely powerful for two reasons: it empowers children with disabilities, and it educates children without disabilities, so they are more respectful and don’t discriminate against others. We call that “purposeful play”. Disability has rightly moved from being a medical issue to a societal issue, with the focus being on breaking down the physical and cultural barriers people with disabilities face. For toy companies, it means the need for inclusive design is paramount and something our incredible teams at Mattel strive to do every day as part of our roles.

Inclusive design for purposeful play

We make toys for and, most importantly, with children with disabilities and their families, working alongside focus groups and responding to letters from consumers. Our toys aim to build connections through empathy, are customisable and have comfort built in. Often what makes them more user-friendly for someone with a disability also makes them more comfortable for everyone to play with. This year, we collaborated with Rose Ayling-Ellis, a deaf British actor, on a Barbie with a behind-the-ear hearing aid. As a child, Rose used to draw hearing aids on her dolls to make them look more like her, and she says it’s “It’s so important for children to be able to see themselves represented in the toys they play with… so I am thrilled that Mattel is releasing more dolls that encourage kids to celebrate and embrace their differences!”

The Barbie Fashionistas line is where the Barbie brand delivers the most diversity and inclusion, and since its inception, 175+ looks have been introduced, offering children a variety of skin tones, eye colours, hair colours and textures, body types, disabilities, and fashions to choose from, coming in six different body shapes and 22 skin tones, but also in a wheelchair, with a prosthetic leg, with vitiligo and without hair. Through Barbie, we’re also able to pay tribute to disability role models like the Braille pioneer Helen Keller in our Inspiring Women series, and Turkish Paralympian athlete Sümeyye Boyaci.

We need to talk about Bruno

The need to raise awareness of children with disabilities goes beyond toys, to all the interactions children have with the characters we look after. Our diversity and inclusion work also enables us to bring representative characters to life on screen, which can have a huge impact. In September, we introduced Bruno the Brake Car to the Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go series, in collaboration with autistic writers and organisations. Bruno is also voiced by British nine-year-old Elliott Garcia, who has the developmental disability autism. Elliott describes Bruno as “funny, smart, a very relaxed character”. Bruno can become really overwhelmed, but Elliott says he uses comedy to get past situations. “He loves schedules and timetables and when everything goes to plan.” In the UK alone, there are 160,000 school-age autistic children, according to Tom Purser, Head of Guidance, Volunteering & Campaigns at the National Autistic Society, which helped with the casting of Elliott.

“It is important that everyone sees autistic characters on our screens because [autistic children want to see their stories told], but it is also important that non-autistic children get insight and understanding into what it can be like to be autistic.”

Besides supporting the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, our work also supports the 2021-30 EU Disability Rights Strategy, specifically, the objectives “Accessibility – enabler of rights, autonomy and equality” and “Promoting the rights of persons with disabilities globally”.

At Mattel, we strive to live our purpose for every child and disability, to empower the next generation to explore the wonder of childhood and reach their full potential.

About the author: Sanjay Luthra is the Executive Vice President for EMEA at Mattel and Chairman of Toy Industries of Europe (TIE). Formerly Managing Director for five years, his challenger mindset and focus on digital strategy led EMEA to become Mattel’s fastest-growing region in 2021. His vast experience in the toy sector spans two decades and several continents, from his native India to the UK. In 2019, Sanjay was elected as Chair of the TIE Board and he has been at the forefront of adapting the toy industry to meet the challenges of a changing retail market throughout the uncertainties of Brexit and COVID-19. Sanjay is an advocate for the power of toys to educate children, and of the toy sector to promote social change, such as encouraging inclusion and diversity. 

**DISCLAIMER: All opinions in this article reflect the views of the author, not of COFACE Families Europe**

The post OPINION: How inclusive toys can help to represent and raise awareness of disabilities appeared first on COFACE Families Europe.

December marks my 12^th anniversary with Toy Industries of Europe and it is safe to say that when I first joined, the topic of diversity or inclusion was not at all on the agenda, not in the toy sector, and hardly at all in society more generally.  Yes, there were those who felt that toy marketing or the way toys were presented in shops was not gender-neutral enough.  But this was only a faint buzzing in the margins, not taken very seriously.  Society as a whole did not seem worried about it or did not expect a different position.  When some shops started taking down ‘for boys’ & ‘for girls’ directions, customers complained: they wanted more clarity for faster and more targeted shopping.

Those days are gone.  I’m happy and proud to say that our companies now are much more encouraging both girls and boys to be whatever they want.  Many of our toy companies are trying to ensure that through toys ALL skillsets are stimulated, regardless of gender.  You see this reflected in catalogues with young boys pushing the doll’s pram and girls with chemistry sets.  And it is more than marketing: the toys themselves are encouraging children to discover their full potential, to encourage them to want to be whatever they dream of being.

Research shows that starting at the age of five, many girls develop self-limiting beliefs and feel they may not be as smart or capable as boys.  It is great to see how toy companies are trying to overcome and reverse this ‘DreamGap’ by providing little girls with aspirational role models or by calling their attention to those women who changed history.  Who better than the toy sector to address this, as toys help children play out their dreams. There are now male nurses and female astronauts for children to play with.

In 2020, Toy Industries of Europe (TIE) launched the Play for Change Awards to celebrate toymakers who help kids confidently navigate the world around them, in ways that show respect for themselves, for others, and for our planet.  One of the three Award categories is all about empowering children: we wanted to recognise the efforts of toy manufacturers who are trying to break boundaries based on outdated ‘norms’ of social status, ability, sex, race or religion.  We believe very strongly that experiencing diversity, inclusion, and equality will help children thrive and we would like to see the toy sector to be a motor for that. Besides celebrating those toymakers who are already driving for a positive change in children’s lives, the Awards also want to provide an extra, positive nudge for others to go down the same road.

Besides this positive gender equality course and the empowerment of young girls, many toy makers are also acting on the need to reflect society more in their toy offer.  Disabled children should now be able to find dolls in their own image.  This year’s Gold winner of the Awards is Miniland who have expanded their range of baby dolls with dolls that represent children with Down syndrome from different races and genders.  As well as making sure children with Down syndrome can recognise themselves, which must be a real comfort, the dolls help teach the values of inclusion and diversity through play.

As kids get more and more used to playing with  ‘different looking’ dolls, friendly intentions towards children who are ‘different’ will grow too.  In this way, play can promote empathy and acceptance of people of any race, gender, or condition.  Although it is not surprising,  if you think about it, it has long been ignored that something as simple as a toy can help bridge cultural divides and will raise the self-esteem of plenty of children.  Kids love moving away from one-dimensional images.  One very successful example is to see how the iconic Barbie doll sales are exceeding expectations for the ‘curvy’ range.

I am proud to see this change in our sector.  It is beyond a ‘shy start’, perhaps not yet at a watershed moment but I am confident that this is unstoppable and will continue to grow and grow, which can only be a good thing.

Toymakers know the power their ‘tools of play’ can have over children and they are choosing to use that power for a very positive change.  In a few years’ time, those children will have children of their own and will hopefully have a more positive effect on society.  It’s a snowball effect and we welcome it!

About the author: Catherine Van Reeth is Director General of Toy Industries of Europe. She leads TIE in promoting a positive environment in which the toy sector can thrive and continue to bring safe and fun play experiences to children. Catherine has worked in EU public affairs for over 25 years and is an expert in consumer protection policy.

**DISCLAIMER: All opinions in this article reflect the views of the author, not of COFACE Families Europe**

Photo: ©Miniland

The post OPINION: Playing for change and a more inclusive society appeared first on COFACE Families Europe.

The toys children play with have a powerful impact on the way they perceive the world.  Presenting positive portrayals of children in all their diversity is crucial: toy companies should take a transformative approach to ensure their toys and associating marketing are diverse.

Children learn about roles, identities and behaviours from a very young age and play is crucial to how children develop and learn about the world. The toys they play with are key agents of socialization and particularly powerful drivers to change perceptions. Toys that have positive messages let children see the diversity of the world reflected in their world of play and enable them to believe in their ability to achieve their full potential, unconstrained by harmful stereotypes. In today’s interconnected and online world, leading brands and characters exist physically but are also present in gaming, in e-books, TV and streaming.  Diversity and inclusion in marketing messages and content created for children can have a significant impact on the socialization of children and youth.

Recent research finds parents encourage sons to engage in activities that are related to Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM), physicality, and activities that engage exploration and curiosity, while daughters more likely to be encouraged to engage in activities that are performative, artistic, and domestic or related to the dramatic arts.[1]  Doll play encourages empathy and social skills, but boys are not as likely as girls to be given these toys.[2] On the other hand, building blocks and transport-inspired toys that promote cognitive-motor skills are more targeted towards boys. Children with disabilities and children from non-dominant cultures often find it difficult to find toys that represent them at all.

Discriminatory stereotypes around gender, disability, ethnicity, age and family structures have a profound impact on the lives of children everywhere and limit the possibilities for children to achieve their potential. Barriers are often exacerbated due to the intersection of these issues. Harmful stereotypes around gender norms can lead to fewer girls participating in STEM subjects through school and university, or the loss of self-confidence affecting their self-confidence and health while for boys, harmful masculinities and a reluctance to show emotions perceived as feminine can lead to higher levels of risky behaviour and gender-based violence. Negative stereotypes around race and culture can contribute to lower educational and health outcomes, while children with disabilities are often simply ignored in terms of accessibility or representation in marketing communication. Diversity in families is also generally absent in the design, advertising, and marketing of toys and other products targeted to children

While there has been a great deal of positive movement by toy companies, particularly around reducing gender stereotypes, there is still an enormous amount of work to be done to make toys truly representative. For too many companies, diversity issues are not fully integrated: one toy line may focus on diversity, while others have regressive messages, a lack of representativity or rely heavily on gender-stereotyped marketing. Engaging business to promote positive representation through the marketing and advertising of products and content designed for children is a vital part of achieving equality and inclusion.

UNICEF, as the organisation mandated to uphold the rights of all children, has been working to drive change in this area. Recently, developed in collaboration with the LEGO Group, UNICEF released a playbook Promoting diversity and inclusion in advertising to raise awareness of the issues in terms of the impact stereotyping has on children and to offer companies working in this area some tools for effecting change. We have developed a 3-step model for use by companies to assess whether their marketing practices are discriminatory, aware of the issue and looking to implement change, or transformative, tackling the structural barriers across societies impeding equal outcomes.

For UNICEF, it is not enough to simply address the worst examples found in products, marketing and advertising targeted towards children. We would like companies to adopt a transformative approach and help dismantle barriers within the company and the socio-economic ecosystem that impacts diversity – from business strategy and creative policies to the end product and marketing. We also want companies to portray children in all their diversity to contribute to the construction of positive and equal social norms to support non-discrimination. Through progressive and empowered characters and representation, we can jointly create a positive influence on children’s outcomes everywhere.

[1] https://seejane.org/research-informs-empowers/lego-creativity-study/ 
[2] https://www.insider.com/playing-with-dolls-teaches-children-empathy-and-social-skills-2020-10

About the author:
Emer O’Doherty works with UNICEF’s Gender Equality team as a Gender and Marketing consultant. Emer has worked for more than 15 years with UN Agencies as an insight specialist driving private sector engagement and has also worked with private sector market research agencies. She is one of the authors of UNICEF’s recent Diversity and Inclusion playbook.  

**DISCLAIMER: All opinions in this article reflect the views of the author, not of COFACE Families Europe**

The post OPINION: Transforming marketing and advertising of toys through positive portrayals of children in all their diversity appeared first on COFACE Families Europe.

Since 2016 when COFACE Families Europe published a European study of toy catalogues “Making or breaking stereotypes?”, we published 6 Toys & Diversity principles and have run a social media campaign on #ToysandDiversity as part of our work to promote equal opportunities and diversity. The campaign highlights gender, disability and racial stereotypes in toy production, catalogues and shops, and raises awareness among toy producers, advertisers, retailers and consumers about the need for toy diversity. It highlights the importance of letting children decide what to play with for their creativity, imagination, learning development and fun. This means not limiting children’s choices of which toys to play with by imposing on them predefined and stereotyped categories.

As every year in the pre-Christmas period, we trigger a social media campaign wave. 2016 was about stereotype hunting,  2017 was about stereotype boycotting, 2018 provided checklists to think critically when buying toys, 2019 focused on launching the “Toy stories” survey, and 2020 highlighted some of the toy stories gathered from across Europe.

Key #ToysandDiversity principles

On the basis of our study of Toy catalogues across 9 countries conducted in 2016, COFACE Families Europe developed six key principles with a view to raising awareness of our key concerns in relation to toy marketing and advertising. The headline principles are the following:

1. Let children decide what they want to play with: No more division into boys and girls sections.
2. Do not channel children into stereotyped professions and life patterns: Let them play to be whomever they want to be.
3. Join your voice to end gender-based violence and bullying: promote non-violent images and behaviours.
4. Represent families in their diversity.
5. Children with disabilities play too: stop their invisibility and include them in the toy world.
6. Children with a diverse racial background: let’s move to a fair representation.

More information about our 6 key principles

On this #WorldChildrensDay COFACE Families Europe is launching “Toy stories”, the first Europe-wide survey on #ToysandDiversity, highlighting the need to give children the space to play for full creativity, imagination, learning development and fun.
👉 https://t.co/6XCa9Jivfk pic.twitter.com/9OsNP6SrHh

— FAMILIES EUROPE (@COFACE_EU) November 20, 2019

#Toys&DiversityCampaigns

#ToysAndDiversity

#ToysAndDiversity

Since 2016 when COFACE Families Europe published a European study of toy catalogues “Making or breaking stereotypes?”, we published 6 Toys & Diversity principles, and carried out various annual awareness-raising activities.

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Oct 27, 2021 | 2 min read

#Toys&DiversityPosition papers

A critical view of the world of toy catalogues – Six key principles

A critical view of the world of toy catalogues – Six key principles

These six principles offer a critical view of the world of toy catalogues, informing of potential risks and concerns among parents and families.

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Jul 17, 2017 | 4 min read

#Toys&DiversityReports

Toy stories study

Toy stories study

“Toy Stories”, the first Europe-wide survey on Toys and Diversity, developed and translated by COFACE members into 13 languages.

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Jun 16, 2020 | 4 min read

The post #ToysAndDiversity appeared first on COFACE Families Europe.

“I’m dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones I used to know…” was the beginning of the famous Bing Crosby’s Christmas carol. Christmas is indeed coming soon: meetings with the family and friends, Christmas markets, lighting cities, meals, and for children, Christmas is the time to receive toys.

Toys are not just mere entertainment for children. Toys help children to shape their way to understand reality, to acquire new skills and experiences which can shape the choices they will make later on. Bearing this in mind, COFACE Families Europe decided to promote true diversity of toys, as part of its work to raise equal opportunities and diversity, through different awareness campaigns launched in 2016.

In the last campaign on Toys & Diversity, COFACE decided to gather the stories and opinions of toy consumers, to explore what determines and influences their choices when buying toys. “Toy Stories” was therefore launched, the first Europe-wide survey on Toys and Diversity (T&D survey) It was developed and translated by COFACE members into 13 languages.

The responses were far above our expectations, diverse, and underlined the need for more neutral and inclusive toys and toy advertising to reduce stereotypes, but recalled that some prejudices are still present in our societies. The responses were also a call for all stakeholders to take stock of these findings, reinforce mutual learning, best practices and collaboration.

The toy industry has always been one of the targets of organisations promoting more inclusive toys like COFACE and its members as a way to start a dialogue to address the challenges. Recently, very positive steps were taken by Toy Industries of Europe (TIE), the organisation which gathers the producers of European toys. TIE decided to launch the Play for Change awards, whose aim is to recognise and promote toy makers’ initiatives, no matter the size of the brand, that contribute positively to society.
The Awards had three categories (empowerment, sustainability, and future skills) and COFACE was invited to be a member of the Jury of the empowerment category. This invitation came at the right moment to continue promoting COFACE values regarding toys and to continue both building bridges and trust within the toy industry. As person in charge of the T&D survey, I was the person representing COFACE in the jury.

The Empowerment category was divided into three sections:

• Toys designed to help children with a disability or impairment;
• Toys that promote equality and inclusion through representation (racial background, children with disabilities, different body types, etc.);
• Toy makers who are helping to tackle stereotypes.

Twelve entries were accepted in the Empowerment category and three of them were awarded.
The panel of judges was composed of professionals with different backgrounds, including people who work with organisations that have criticised TIE in the past. This clearly shows, from my point of view, that TIE is trying to bring different perspectives to the table of discussion and build bridges with different stakeholders of the toy world. Are these bridges robust enough? Well, only time can answer that question. But it could be the beginning of a “beautiful friendship”. I perhaps regretted the presence of more men in the jury. Well, the lack of men involved in gender equality issues is not certainly a première… (see “Being a man in a woman’s world – gender equality should also involve men”)
TIE is trying to make efforts for effective change, and want to incentivise, not only big toy brands but also SME toys, which, most of the time, do not have the same resources to do so. What is more, it is rewarding to see that the toy industry sees benefits in investing in gender equality and inclusion, which reflect the pluralism of our societies. Not to mention the desire of consumers to see these changes reflected.

The three entry categories (Empowerment, Sustainability, Future skills) are steps in paving the way for true and inclusive equality.

It is important to bear in mind that stereotypes still prevail in our society regarding the gender of the child, that is, some toys are still considered more “suitable” for one gender, and more specifically, boys suffer more that discrimination than girls. This was one of the major findings of the last campaign survey done by COFACE Families Europe.

I found that some of the toys on the entry were presented, through different advertisements (youtube, poster campaigns, etc.), for a specific gender, specially girls. These toys certainly empower all kinds of girls (taking in account the ethnic background, different disabilities, promoting Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics –STEM- professions, etc.), which is an important leap forward, but, unfortunately, neglect half of children, boys. It is therefore important to continue raising awareness of completely inclusive toys.

Rome was not built in a day. Changes take time and patience, and it is uneasy to get rid of many societal prejudices. This is why I strongly believe it is essential all the stakeholders have to do their bit to bring effective and lasting change that could lead us, as the Toy Stories movie says, “to infinite and beyond”.

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**DISCLAIMER: All opinions in this article reflect the views of the author, not of COFACE Families Europe**

About the author:

Pascual Martinez is Policy and Advocacy Officer at COFACE Families Europe where he deals with Employment and Gender Equality affairs. He has several years of experience in EU affairs, and has worked with different organisations and EU institutions, where he has closely monitored and helped to shape key EU legislation pertaining to social and economic issues. He holds two Masters in Economics and Politics and another one of the College of Europe of Bruges.

The post OPINION: Playing for change – important steps made by industry to boost toys and diversity appeared first on COFACE Families Europe.

DOWNLOAD FULL REPORT

In 2019, COFACE Families Europe decided to collect the stories of families and beyond in Europe, to explore what determines and influences their choices when they buy toys. On the 20th of November 2019, Universal Children’s Day, we symbolically launched “Toy Stories”, the first Europe-wide survey on Toys and Diversity, developed and translated by COFACE members into 13 languages. The data collection took place until Christmas Day. The survey gathered more than 2,000 answers from all EU Member States and beyond. However, this representation is unequally shared, as almost 90% of respondents come from ten countries. A large majority of respondents were women (85%) and, in terms of age, 60% of respondents were between 26 and 45 years old.

On toy marketing, a majority of respondents believe that advertising reinforces stereotypes and that more neutral and inclusive advertising would reduce stereotypes. First of all, nine out of ten respondents either “agreed” or “strongly agreed” that toy advertising accentuates stereotypes. Then, 80% of respondents do consider that more neutral toys and toy advertising would reduce stereotypes, but women and younger respondents to a higher degree than men and older respondents.

The full report is now available on the COFACE website. Other specific findings of the survey include the following:

• Profile of the respondents: Half of the respondents are parents and almost 30% are relatives of the children (sibling, uncle, cousin). Some respondents also use toys in a professional setting (teachers, physiotherapists, psychologists, etc.);
• Frequency: A fourth of the respondents buy toys either often or very often. The trend is the same by gender but not by age: younger generations tend to buy more often toys than older ones.
• Influence: The first influence when buying a toy, is the child’s preference (80%), followed by the price (40%). Few respondents consider gender. People do not buy toys for boys or toys for girls: less than 5% of the respondents considered this option.
• Stereotypes: Stereotypes still prevail regarding the gender of the child. Some toys are still considered more “suitable” for one gender (eg: a tractor for boys and a Barbie doll for girls). This attitude is seen across gender and age of the respondents. However, stereotypes prevail more for boys than for girls: there is a tendency towards thinking it is more “acceptable” seeing a girl wanting a toy from a “boy section” than a boy wanting a toy from a “girl section”;
• Inclusion: More than four-fifths of the respondents either “agreed” or “strongly agreed” with the idea that making children with disabilities visible in toy adverts and producing more toys adapted to their needs could change the way society looks at them. Almost 95% of the respondents of the survey declared not having whatsoever inconvenience if their child/grandchild etc. would receive a doll or figurine of a different ethnic background;
• Toy shops: Boy and girl sections in toy shops are not helpful for the majority of respondents.
• Potential solutions: Respondents considered that the awareness of the family (65%) and more neutral and inclusive marketing of toys (65%) are key for promoting inclusive toys.
• Barriers: There is broad consensus on the main barriers to the acceptance of inclusive toys, which are a mix of internal and external influences: society (61%), media and advertisers (56%).

A preview of the results (key trends and some toy stories) was presented on 15th June online with reactions from the European Commission, Toy Industries of Europe, and the World Federation of Advertisers. COFACE Families Europe president, Annemie Drieskens: “True, inclusive equality starts in childhood, and toys and advertising play a great part in this, and we are keen to continue building bridges with both these industries. But we are listening to the 2000+ respondents of the Toy stories survey, acknowledging that families as first educators also have a key role to play. It is a shared responsibility to drive change and further boost diversity and equal opportunities for all children, boys and girls.”

COFACE Families Europe encourages the parents and families, the different professionals, the public administrations, the industry, the unions, the NGOs, etc., to take stock of these findings, reinforce mutual learning, best practices and collaboration, and help promoting equal opportunities for boys and girls. Inspired by the “Toy stories” of so many people and by this report, COFACE Families Europe will continue raising awareness on Toys and Diversity, in an open and continuous dialogue with families and all the concerned partners. Equality starts in childhood, and toys and advertising play a great part in this.

_ _ _

ENDS

For more information contact Isabell Wutz, Communication Officer: iwutz@coface-eu.org

The post Toy stories study appeared first on COFACE Families Europe.

The post A critical view of the world of toy catalogues – Six key principles appeared first on COFACE Families Europe.

Early years are key in the social and cognitive development of every child and the impact that play and toys have on child development contribute to shape the child’s behaviour, interests and choices that he/she will make in later life. Therefore, to raise awareness and analyse the situation of representation of children in the media, we chose as a starting point toy catalogues. Here are the results of our study on toys catalogues.

We analysed images of 3.125 children across 32 catalogues in 9 countries: Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

Key findings of the study include:

• 12 catalogues, (37.5%) more than an third, had specific sections of toys “for boys” and “for girls” versus 20 catalogues (62.5%) having no specific sections. Most of those that are not formally divided into genders have, however, sections that are clearly marked by colours (pink and pastel colours for girls, darker and bolder colours for boys).
• In 5 sections, boys were at least two thirds of the total children, respectively: videogames (67%), construction (69%), drones (72%), cars and transportations (74%), war and guns (88%). Girls were over the two thirds of total children only in two sections: care activities (87%) and beauty and grooming (94,5%).

On the sections on role-play and costumes, in catalogues that were divided into “toys for boys” and “toys for girls”: boys sections were filled with superheros, characters from TV shows and cartoons, but also professions that ranged from doctor to firefighter, policeman, mechanics… Girls sections had a number of characters from TV shows and cartoons, a few professions and a very high prevalence of princesses Out of 3125, 2908 were white children, 120 black, 59 of mixed race, 31 Asian, 7 middle-eastern. There was no child with disabilities.

Toys and Diversity: Six key Principles

On the basis of the study, COFACE Families Europe developed six key principles with a view to raising awareness of our key concerns in relation to toy marketing and advertising. The headline principles are the following (see details here):

1. Let children decide what they want to play with: No more division into boys and girls sections
2. Do not channel children into stereotyped professions and life patterns: Let them play to be whomever they want to be
3. Join your voice to end gender-based violence and bullying: promote non-violent images and behaviours
4. Represent families in their diversity
5. Children with disabilities play too: stop their invisibility and include them in the toy world
6. Children with a diverse racial background: let’s move to a fair representation

Download our study on Toy catalogues in Europe

The post Study Toy catalogues in Europe: Making or Breaking Stereotypes? appeared first on COFACE Families Europe.