Swedish toy firm drops gender roles for Xmas
Published: 24 Nov 12 08:30 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/44628/20121124/
Sweden's largest toy chain said Friday that its toys are "gender neutral" after picturing boys holding baby dolls and banishing girls from the dolls pages of its Christmas catalogue.
- Sweden plummets in income equality ranking (15 May 13)
- Asthma and allergies on the rise for Swedish kids (13 May 13)
- Swedish kids start daycare earlier: report (12 May 13)
"With the new gender thinking, there is nothing that is right or wrong. It's not a boy or a girl thing, it's a toy for children."
The country's advertising watchdog (Reklamombudsmannen - RO) reprimanded the company for gender discrimination three years ago following complaints over outdated gender roles in the 2008 Christmas catalogue, which featured boys dressed as superheroes and girls playing princess.
"For several years, we have found that the gender debate has grown so strong in the Swedish market that we ... have had to adjust," Nyberg said.
A comparison between this year's Toys R Us catalogues in Sweden and Denmark, where Top Toy is also the franchisee, showed that a boy wielding a toy machine gun in the Danish edition had been replaced by a girl in Sweden.
Elsewhere, a girl was Photoshopped out of the "Hello Kitty" page, a girl holding a baby doll was replaced by a boy, and, in sister chain BR's catalogue, a young girl's pink T-shirt was turned light blue.
Top Toy, Sweden's largest toy retailer by number of stores, said it had received "training and guidance" from the Swedish advertising watchdog, which is a self-regulatory agency.
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
Stockholm's not burning
With international media swooping on the Stockholm riots from every angle, The Local's Oliver Gee explains why Stockholm is not burning, and how the story has been blown out of proportion. READ () »
Stockholm riots: causes and consequences
After five nights of rioting throughout the outskirts of Stockholm, many in Sweden and elsewhere are trying to make sense of it all. The Local spoke to a mix of commentators and local politicians to get their views. READ () »
Swedish firms 'clueless' about foreign graduates
As white-collar union Saco slammed Sweden for not helping well-educated foreigners into the labour market, The Local spoke to researcher Josefin Edström about the disconnect between foreign professionals and Swedish employers. READ () »
US and UK issue travel warnings for Sweden
The UK Foreign Office has issued a travel warning for Sweden after arsonists tore through several Stockholm suburbs, while Americans have been warned to stay out of the affected areas by their embassy. READ () »
Swedish riot police to call in reinforcements
With Swedish police set to call in reinforcements in an attempt to get the now five-day-old wave of arson and vandalism under control, Sweden's image abroad may have been tarnished. READ () »
Quiz: 'A Swedish city with a pulse'
For this week's secret location picture gallery quiz, we head to a city that's among the top 20 in terms of population size. Can you guess which one it is in nine clues? READ () »
Princess Madeleine 'not nervous' about wedding
Sweden's Princess Madeleine is "less nervous than she thought" about her impending walk down the aisle at Stockholm's Storkyrkan church to wed US financier Chris O'Neill. READ () »
'Tired' Swedes have less sex than ever: study
Swedes are having less sex than ever before, a new survey has revealed, and their libidos appear to have waned too, prompting researchers to warn that "desire disorders" may be keeping Swedes from getting intimate. READ () »
- 24/05 Princess Madeleine 'not nervous' about wedding »
- 24/05 Quiz: 'A Swedish city with a pulse' »
- 23/05 Firefighter to Stockholm rioters: I'll still help you »
- 22/05 Bergman auction canned after suspected theft »
- 21/05 Topless woman to be lifted from Swedish map »
- 20/05 Topless Swedish beach bunny sparks outrage »
- 19/05 Royal wedding fever hits Sweden »
- 18/05 Man wounded in schoolyard shooting »
- 17/05 Danes invade Sweden for Eurovision final »
- 17/05 American 'prince' says no to Swedish citizenship »
- 24/05 Fan wants Bayern ticket-Oktoberfest beer swap »
- 24/05 Nationwide cannabis limit rolls nearer »
More news from Germany at thelocal.de
- 24/05 Top Ten: English terms the French want barred »
- 24/05 Street crime hurts Paris tourism: fashion brands »
More news from France at thelocal.fr
More news from Norway at thelocal.no
- 24/05 China moves toward trade deal with Swiss »
- 24/05 Appenzell Innerhoden enjoys 'pure democracy' »
More news from Switzerland at thelocal.ch
In cooperation with DoToday
Register now for:
> Free use of noticeboard
> Special discounts
> Weekly news roundup
> Unlimited use of discuss
- Corporate Sports Sales Executives
- INTERNATIONAL SALES EXECUTIVE
- Online Functional Designer
- Regional Sales Manager - Nordic EMEA (Mobility)
- Accounts Payable to Bosch Rexroth
- Interim Business Controller
- Senior IT Project Manager, Husqvarna
- Technical Expert - Antenna and
- Test Coordinator
- Analog Field Application Engineer
" I have recently become addicted to a website called Stockholms Källan. The site is an amazing treasure trove of historical images of Stockholm. You can search by names or locations to find old photos and documents relating to whatever you’re interested in. This image is from a 1960’s short film called “Ditt Stockholm” (“Your Stockholm”). It..." READ »
- 23/5 09:23 REFLECTIONS OF A TWITTER VIRGIN…. (The Diplomatic Dispatch)
- 21/5 21:34 WEEK 21 (Stripes News)
- 20/5 15:25 Hockey. Hockey. Hockey. (Boston Blatte)
- Corporate Sports Sales Executives
- INTERNATIONAL SALES EXECUTIVE
- Online Functional Designer
- Regional Sales Manager - Nordic EMEA (Mobility)
- Accounts Payable to Bosch Rexroth
- Interim Business Controller
- Senior IT Project Manager, Husqvarna
- Technical Expert - Antenna and
- Test Coordinator
- Analog Field Application Engineer
- 21:09 Husby Riots and violence against the police...
- 20:25 Cleaning business in Sweden
- 20:24 Moving to Sweden (Questions) HELP
- 20:11 Moving to Sweden from England
- 19:21 Questions regarding partner visa
- 16:29 Adobo- Filipino Recipe
- 12:33 Is it safe to keep money at forexbank?
- 04:24 Gym memberships without a personnummer?
- 00:35 Restaurant Inspection Scores
- 23:58 Living costs in London
Find products and services that are specifically focused on English speakers living in Sweden!
FULL DETAILS
Individuals & Couples - Stockholm Beth Rogerson PhD - Clinical, Marriage & Family Therapist
Click or call 08-5580 1266 now
Create an account with Banc De Binary, the world’s most reputable binary options firm, and start cashing in today! You can start by practicing with our free $50,000 demo account.
www.bbinary.com
Expat counsellor & talk therapist offers counselling for stress, relationship issues, sexuality, culture adjustment & life coaching. Private & confidential. Stockholm or Skype. Contact me today! 08-559 22 636 or
CLICK HERE
Casa Birgitta in Algarve, Portugal. Reduced price in best location. Private estate on white sand beach. All amenities included. Book here today! edward_george1@hotmail.com
Your comments about this article:
The comments below have not been moderated in advance and are not produced by The Local unless clearly stated. Readers are responsible for the content of their own comments. Comments that breach our terms and conditions will be removed.
By the way, sorry for mentioning God, I'm sure this is somehow offensive for people of different faith and/or atheists. And I sure don't want to be bitten by all the different "watchdogs" that are calling the shots nowadays, at least in Sweden.
Does it qualify as a hate crime when I don't agree with those measures and think they are not even hysterical, but might even turn out damaging for the children? It increases chances of mis-imprinting of role models due to lacking gender identity. But then again, there's nothing wrong with being gay or feeling "in the wrong body"! Even if it's man-made. But I guess psychotherapists and sex reassignment surgeons need to make a living somehow.
Toy dealers, your job is to sell toys to children. Any restrictions that others may wish to impose on you about how to do that job can only diminish the effectiveness of your job if you accept them. The PC police don't care about your bottom line. They are sexists themselves, anyway.
Egalia is a school in Sweden that practices "gender netutral" education. Little boys and little girls will not be told about puppy dog tails and all things nice but rather pink, toy guns and other gendered attributes of childhood are banned.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2011/06/27/egalia-gender-neutral-schooling-and-school-voucher-programs/
Yes, equality is a great thing, but equality *imposed* from above is, simply, absurd.