New California law to require retailers to have gender-neutral toy section - WOAI
A new California law is requiring toy stores to create a gender-neutral section for toys.
If you've been inside a big toy store, you know how it's traditionally organized by boy and girl aisle.
The new California law gives retailers with more than 500 employees two years to add a gender-neutral section or face big fines.
“This might seem silly, piece of California politics. But the truth is big stores across the country have been moving in this direction both Walmart and target have done away with gender toy sections. And experts say that's good, because gendered toys shape how children see themselves and each other," said professor, Dafna Lemish.
“We are teaching them to be separated, to be competitive, to be inhabiting very different worlds," she added.
Companies looking to maximize sales tend to focus on traditionally boy toys.
Media studies professor Lemish says the industry assumes girls will play with boy toys and watch boy programs but not vice versa, a destructive market force.
"Girls mature and stop playing with toys and games much earlier. So it's more economical to produce more action oriented boys toys that are kind of supporting the programs," Lemish said.
In children's television, the toy-making potential can even determine what a show is about.
"broadcasters look at the children's block on television as a 30-minute commercial for a commercial product that they want to sell," said Founder and CEO of Big Bad Boo Studios, Aly Jetha.
And because toys have usually been gendered, tv makers who make gender-neutral characters might miss out on that money.
“Because of profit motives that exist, corporations, and media companies are not going to put that stuff out there on their own,” added Jetha.
Bias experts say it's been a terrible cycle. Tv producers generally had to feed into stereotypes in order to get toys onto store shelves, and stores with gendered toy sections didn't know where to put toys that weren't explicitly and stereotypically masculine or feminine.
The bill's opponents call it government overreach. But the bill's co-author says it's part of a state effort to fight bias in society.
“In the state of California, we recognize the disparities. That's why we passed gender pay equity legislation. That's why we've also passed legislation to require women and minorities on corporate boards. This piece of legislation with gender neutral retail continues in that spirit,” said California State Assembly Member, Evan Low.
Now the question is whether the reshaping of the toy aisles can inspire toy makers and broadcasters to change as well.
source: https://news4sanantonio.com/news/nation-world/new-california-law-to-require-retailers-to-have-gender-neutral-toy-section-toys-boys-girls-walmart-aisle-society
Your content is great. However, if any of the content contained herein violates any rights of yours, including those of copyright, please contact us immediately by e-mail at media[@]kissrpr.com.