Lego has been working to rid its products of gender labels, removing male and female-specific ones and prohibiting customers from searching online for toys based on the sex of their child, its chief marketing officer has revealed.
After a recent survey discovered that 71% of boys were worried about being mocked or bullied if they played with toys marketed towards girls, Lego's chief product and marketing officer, Julia Goldin, told The Guardian that the toy company had been "working hard to make Lego more inclusive."
Though acknowledging that Lego has traditionally been more popular with boys, Goldin said that the company no longer places labels on its products designating them by gender. Goldin also revealed that customers are now unable to search for products on the Lego site by girls or boys and instead are given the option to search based on "passion points," which include animals, space, gaming, STEM, and other interests.
"We're testing everything on boys and girls, and including more female role models," Goldin declared, concluding that Lego's current goal is "to encourage boys and girls who want to play with sets that may have traditionally been seen as 'not for them'."
The news was celebrated by academics in the UK, who called the change "a positive step" and "about time."
"Great news but shocking that it is 2021 and companies are just waking up to the toxic impact of gendered socialisation," reacted Social Inequities Professor Dr Pragya Agarwal, while journalist Tasmin Lockwood argued that it should be "compulsory" for every toy manufacturer to get rid of gender-specific items.
Others were less enthusiastic about Lego's decision, calling it "ridiculous" and a "gender crusade."
"If Lego really wants to be 'inclusive,' they should start with lowering their eye-watering prices so that more parents can actually afford it," one person complained.
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