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PinkStinks urges boycott of Early Learning Centre

Finance | Tania Mason | 1 Dec 2009

PinkStinks, the campaign against the stereotyping of young girls as ultra-feminine and ‘girly’, has called for shoppers to boycott the Early Learning Centre this Christmas.

PinkStinks founders Emma and Abi Moore claim the store chain is one of the worst for gender stereotyping, by providing a large range of boy’s toys but a much narrower range of toys aimed at girls.

“Toys for boys encompass every avenue imaginable – construction, science, adventure, role play, physical and educational,” said Emma.  “But in the so-called ‘pink alleys’ of toy stores choices for girls are much more limited – and limiting.”

She cited as an example the Early Learning Centre’s range of fancy dress outfits – boys can transform themselves into doctors, policemen, fireman, pirates, racing car drivers, knights or action heroes, while girls can disguise themselves as fairy tale characters, princesses or nurses.

It also offers pink globes (pictured) as well as the conventional blue and green ones.

“We believe this is blatant gender stereotyping,” said Moore.

Moore said that since the early 1990s the companies that produce and sell children’s products have “fabricated restrictive boundaries of what it means to be a girl in today’s society”.

“As a result body image obsession begins younger and younger and beauty is valued over brains.

“Over the last 15 years or so there’s been a neon pink signpost out there we’ve all be happy to follow. It needs to change.”

PinkStinks is encouraging shoppers to boycott the ELC or its pink products, complain to their local branch manager or email or write to the store’s HQ.

The campaign has attracted support from former National Consumer Council and New Economics Foundation chief Ed Mayo. “This is a brilliant campaign,” said Mayo, who is now secretary-general of Co-operatives UK.  “Today’s marketing assigns simple and very separate roles to girls and boys, and whips up peer pressure to police the difference.”

ELC:  ‘huge range in our stores’

The Early Learning Centre rejected the accusations that its products reinforced gender stereotypes.  Spokeswoman Noella Dixon said the chain offered a “huge range of toys in an assortment of colours. Customers can choose from a red kitchen, a blue kitchen, a blue cash register, or a yellow dolls house.

“Our photography features boys ironing, girls playing with space aliens, boys playing with dolls, boys cooking and pushing buggies, girls building and playing with remote control insects.  We offer anyone who wants to buy toys so much to choose from that no one should feel disappointed when they walk into our stores.”

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