Retail giant Toys R Us has pledged to stop marketing its products exclusively for boys and girls amid concerns about sexual stereotyping.
The toy firm has vowed to drop all ‘explicit references’ to gender from its adverts and look at the way toys are represented in their upcoming Christmas catalogue.
Toys R Us made the announcement following a meeting with consumer campaign group Let Toys Be Toys, which wants to stop gender specific toy marketing.
‘We very much enjoyed meeting Let Toys Be Toys. We will work with the team to ensure we develop the best plan for our customers,’ said Toys R Us director Roger McLaughlan.
The retailer will use images showing boys and girls enjoying the same toys in the future and plan to draw up a new set of principles for signs displayed in its stores.
Let Toys Be Toys believes the gender biased campaigns are confusing to children and harmful to their development.
‘We’re delighted to be working so closely with a major toy retailer and believe that there is much common ground here,’ said campaigner Megan Perryman.
‘Even in 2013, boys and girls are still growing up being told that certain toys are “for” them, while others are not.
‘This is not only confusing but extremely limiting, as it strongly shapes their ideas about who they are and who they can go on to become.’
Toys R Us follows in the footsteps of similar commitments from several other major retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Boots.
Share this with