The toy aisle is still full of gender bias. Here’s how to navigate it these holidays

Parents the world over have begun the task of negotiating Christmas lists written by their children. But buying the right presents for kids can feel like a minefield, with an ever-growing list of choices and factors to consider. Among all of this, the issue of gendered marketing looms large.

Gendered marketing refers to the division of marketplace products into restrictive gender categories. It happens when marketers employ the “four Ps of marketing” (products, price, place, promotion) but with an emphasis on gendered differences.

While gendered marketing reaches all of us, it is especially pronounced in children’s markets – and can help entrench gender inequalities from a young age.

Views on such marketing are changing rapidly with people increasingly seeking gender-inclusive products. And with good reason, as gendered marketing has been shown to have an influence on children’s interests and potentially limit their aspirations.

The pink and blue toy box

Toys are crucial in childrens’ development and learning. They help children express their emotions and imagine worlds beyond their own.

But gendered narratives baked into toys can instil certain beliefs and behaviours from an early age. From teddy bears to bicycles, colour-coding is used to suggest certain toys are “for boys” while others are “for girls”.

Take dolls as an example. Barbie, with her shiny hair and thin, statuesque body has long been criticised for setting unrealistic beauty ideals for young girls. Dolls also encourage play that emphasises grooming and caring, which, in turn, focuses girls’ attention on their appearance and ability to nurture.

This has been shown to limit occupational aspirations among young girls. In one experimental study, 37 girls aged 4–7 played with either a Barbie or Mrs. Potato Head for five minutes, and were then asked about careers they felt they could pursue in the future. The girls – particularly those who played with Barbie – said they could pursue fewer occupations than boys, especially when considering male-dominated careers.

In contrast, action figures are marketed as distinct from dolls and as “gender-appropriate” for boys. Their disproportionate V-shaped bodies portray large and muscular physiques as a norm for men. And they are often paired with accessories such as guns and swords, subtly framing adventure and violence as masculine attributes, which young boys may try and emulate.

Even seemingly “neutral” toys such as Lego have fallen down the pink-and-blue rabbit hole. The blue-ish world of Lego City encourages adventure and heroism through roles such as police officers and firefighters. Conversely, the pink-ish world of Heartlake City is all about food, leisure and fun.

These examples reflect a broader pinkification of STEM toys, wherein fashion dolls and pink plastic lab equipment are presented as “science for girls”.

Feminist scholars and other critics have long advocated for girls and boys to freely explore their identity without gendered expectations – and toys are a part of this.

These concerns have coalesced into groups advocating for gender-neutral toys, such as Let Toys Be Toys, Pink Stinks and Play Unlimited.

De-gendering the toy market

Our recent research highlights, how marketing is a forceful agent of gender socialisation – and explores how toy companies can embrace de-gendering.

At the most basic level, this could look like designing gender-neutral toys that work for all children.

Another consideration is gender-neutral pricing: setting prices that are fair, rather than perpetuating the “pink tax”.

Marketers should also represent diverse and inclusive interests in advertisements, by showing both boys and girls playing with all types of toys.

In 2023, Hasbro’s “proudly made for juniors” campaign portrayed a both boys and girls playing together with Nerf guns – a toy historically marketed to boys. The ad was widely praised, and set a precedent for how the toy marketplace could move beyond rigid gender constraints.

In 2021, Lego pledged to remove gender bias from its toys by no longer labelling any of its products as “for girls” or “for boys”, as well as disallowing product searches based on gender on its website.

Today, however, the manufacturer has not outlined any specific changes made to its products to remove gender biases. Moreover, the Lego Australia homepage does currently direct consumers to “Cool toys for boys”, and “Fantasy”, “Animals and nature” and “Storyteller” toys for girls.

For the parents at home

Conscious adults wary of gendered toys and marketing also have a role to play. Parents, for instance, can have open and honest conversations with their children to help them decode gendered messages in toys.

And when it comes to Christmas shopping, it might be worth skipping the “award-winning” toy lists for more local and artisanal brands, which tend to be better sources for gender-neutral toys.

It’s also important to keep an eye out for messages of faux girls’ empowerment in “femvertising”. Putting pink science kits under the Christmas tree is not going to go further in empowering young girls.

Children are curious, imaginative and free-spirited – and the toys they play with should reflect this.