Petition Gender Stereo-typing in Advertising Aimed at Children

Gender Stereo-typing in advertising aimed at Children reinforces the idea that particular activities and subjects are exclusively for boys or for girls. This is particularly noticeable in the advertising of toys on television. e.g. pink princesses, fairies and puppies are for girls, whilst pirates, guns and radio-controlled racing cars are for boys. This is wrong and reinforces out-of date ideas about the role of girls and women, boys and men in the world. It is hard enough for parents to overcome the idea that little girls should be sweet and pretty, whilst boys should be tough and aggressive.

It is already illegal for recruitment advertising to discriminate under existing legislation. The Advertising Standards Authority can only address complaints about individual advertisements. The government should introduce legislation to outlaw gender stereo-typing in advertising aimed at children and bring it within the scope of the Equality & Human Rights Commission.