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LEGOis doing its part to eliminate gender bias.
In a press release issued on Monday, the toy company announced plans to dispel gender stereotypes and promote more inclusive play in an effort to support their young customers.
“At the LEGO Group, we know we have a role to play in putting this right,” Goldin added. “All children should be able to reach their true creative potential.”
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The study was also in conjunction with the launch of their new campaign, “Ready for Girls,” which celebrates girls who enhance the world through creative problem-solving.
Researchers conducted a global survey of nearly 7,000 parents and children, ranging in age from 6 to 14, to learn more about how children are creatively empowered through LEGO’s marketing, according to the release.
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While 71% of boys reported that they worry about being made fun of if they play with a toy typically associated with the other gender, only 42% of girls felt the same way.
As kids get older, the research found that girls are more likely to be encouraged about activities that are “more cognitive, artistic and related to performance,” while their male counterparts are more likely to be pushed towards physical and STEM-like activities.
In that same study, a survey of parents found that they were more likely to encourage their children to engage in activities traditionally associated with gender, regardless of whether they had a son, daughter or both.
Parents were almost five times as likely to encourage girls to engage in dance over boys (81% vs. 19%) and over three times as likely for cooking or baking (80% vs. 20%).
When it came to traditionally male activities, parents were almost four times as likely to encourage boys to engage in sports (76% vs. 24%) and over twice as likely to encourage coding toys (71% vs. 29%).
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Additionally, the survey determined that parents are almost six times as likely to think of scientists and athletes as men than women (85% vs. 15%) and over eight times as likely to think of engineers as men than women (89% vs. 11%).
Even LEGO blocks themselves showed staggering data, with 59% of parents saying they encourage their sons to play with the toys compared to 48% who encourage it with their daughters.
LEGO said they hope the new campaign will inspire all children, regardless of gender identity, to feel like “they can build anything” because “ensuring more inclusive play and raising the debate around gender norms is critical, not just for girls but for any child.”
Oscar winnerGeena Davis, who founded the institute behind the research, echoed those sentiments.
LEGO’s announcement comes amid an ongoing national debate about gender roles in toys. Other companies,like Mattel, have made a conscious effort to dispel gender stereotypes with their products.
It also comes two days after California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a new state law requiring large retail stores to offer gender-neutral sections for child-care items and toys starting in 2024, according to theWashington Post.
source: people.com
