I was a total tomboy growing up. I hated dresses (except for one that was black and had tiny flowers on it). I was constantly playing with my brother’s toys. And I enjoyed nothing more than running about the garden trying to play football.
It’s not that I didn’t like dolls or never wore pink, I just knew what I liked, which is why I’ve never really understood why retailers categorise items according to gender.
But it finally seems that all that is changing as Toys R US are adopting a gender-free approach on their online directory.
According to The Independent the company has removed the gender filter from their UK website, leaving parents to search based on age, brand and toy type.
It reportedly comes as a result of parents complaining that the stereotyping was discouraging their children from picking certain toys.
Toys R Us aren’t the only ones who are supporting an inclusive, unisex approach to marketing their goods. Brands including Marks & Spencer and Tesco are also going this way.
In case you missed it, the new Barbie advertisement also involves a boy for the first time in history. You can check it out here.
