Pink Stinks: Minister backs boycott of shops that sell 'sexist' toys for girls
By Sophie Freeman
07th December 2009
Parents have a duty to boycott shops that sell 'sexist' pink toys and clothes for girls, according to a pressure group backed by a Labour minister.
The 'Pinkstinks' campaign, founded by twins Emma and Abi Moore, says young girls are being led up 'pink alleys' by companies that target them with products such as princess dresses and pink fairy wings.
The pressure group - which has almost 3,000 supporters on the social networking site Facebook - also claims the 'media’s obsession with stick-thin models, footballers’ wives, and overtly-sexualised pop stars is denying girls their right to aspire to and learn from real role models'.
The campaign 'aims to redress the balance by providing girls with positive female role models – chosen because of their achievements, skills, accomplishments and successes'.
The group has recently singled out the Early Learning Centre as one of the worst offenders on the high street when it comes to the 'pinkification' of girls’ toys.
Pinkstinks argues that, while toys for boys encompass 'every avenue imaginable - construction, science, adventure, role play, physical and educational', in the ELC's ‘pink alleys’, the choices for girls are 'much more limited - and limiting'.
The campaign has recently secured the backing of Bridget Prentice, the justice minister.
She told The Daily Telegraph: 'It's about not funnelling girls into pretty, pretty jobs, but giving them aspirations and challenging them to fulfill their potential.
'We want to say to organisations like the Early Learning Centre that we rely on them to be progressive.'
Mrs Moore, who has two young daughters, lives in Mrs Prentice's Lewisham consituency in south-east London. She said that toy retailers and manufacturers had 'limited girls' boundaries' over the last two decades.
'Pink, passive pretty is for girls,' said Mrs Moore. 'As a result, beauty is valued over brains.'
A spokesman for the Early Learning Centre said stores had a 'huge range of toys in an assortment of colours'.
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