Dolls for girls, trucks for boys. If ads have long conveyed these sexist stereotypes, it’s over in Spain now. Light on this wholesome decision.
The Spanish government, the Association of Toy Manufacturers and Autocontrol, an independent body responsible for controlling the advertising sector in the country, signed a landmark agreement on Wednesday, April 27. It’s a “self-regulatory code” that puts an end to gender-based toys in advertising. Goal ? “Avoid prejudice and the sexualized representation of little girls”as the left-wing government’s consumer affairs department explained in a statement.
“This code of self-regulation will prohibit the characterization of little girls with sexual connotations and avoid the exclusive association of toys that reproduce roles such as care, housework and beauty for them, and action, physical activity and technology for little boys. †
What does it change?
This agreement will come into effect on December 1, an important date as it is around Christmas that toy ads are most numerous. Toys, such as playsets, trucks, dolls and others, will no longer be presented as exclusive to boys or girls and will not make color associations.
The Spanish people owe this agreement to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, and more specifically to Alberto Garzon, representative of the radical left in the government. And rightly so, in December 2021 he had staged a token toy “strike” to challenge sexist stereotypes.
An example to follow for other countries, such as France…