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Say goodbye to ads with cars for boys and kitchens for girls? Toy makers agree to banish sexist stereotypes in advertising

2022-12-01T20:13:36.813Z


Consumption and the main manufacturers sign an advertising self-regulation code for new campaigns that prohibits showing toys for one or the other sex or sexualizing them


Toy advertisements often reproduce society's sexist stereotypes.

According to the

Study on stereotypes and gender roles in toy advertising

(Instituto de la Mujer, 2020), 38.5% of toy advertisements show girls feminine archetypes of beauty or caregiver and mother/wife as a reference, 11% sexualize little girls, while 50% of those aimed at children do so with the activity of a pilot, police or military.

To change this situation, the main Spanish toy manufacturers have signed with the Ministry of Consumer Affairs to adhere to a self-regulation code that aims to banish these stereotypes, avoid associating games with one sex or the other, prevent sexualizing minors and promote inclusive language. and an egalitarian image.

If an ad breaks the rules, it must be removed.

Consumer associations such as Facua criticize that this issue should be regulated by law and with sanctions for those who fail to comply.

The new code of ethics, which replaces another from 2015, will apply to members of the Spanish Association of Toy Manufacturers (AEFJ), which according to their data represents 80% of the sector's turnover and brings together the largest industries in the country. .

And it will be valid for the new campaigns that are launched from tomorrow.

The previous codes already contemplated some gender issues, but in this case it has been reinforced.

It also includes recommendations for children with functional diversity and of different ethnicities to appear.

Among its novelties, the measures aimed at promoting and fostering a plural, egalitarian and stereotype-free image of minors stand out.

Thus, the characterization of girls with sexual connotations will be prohibited and the exclusive association of toys that reproduce roles, for example, care, domestic work or beauty with them, and action, physical activity or technology with children will be avoided.

In addition, toys will not be presented with the express or implicit indication that they are for one or the other sex, nor will color associations be made (such as pink for girls, and blue for boys).

The ads will also try to use inclusive language and present positive role models to encourage healthy, responsible and sustainable consumption.

Another novelty of the code is that commercial communications must describe the product in an understandable and clear way for minors.

In addition, audiovisual advertisements must incorporate a series of pictograms that graphically clarify issues related to assembly, price or technical needs.

The pictograms will have a size that occupies at least 7% of the screen, they will have to be located in the upper left part of the screen whenever possible and they will last for at least two seconds.

Pictograms included in the new self-regulation code for children's toy advertising.

AEFJ

The agreement between Consumo and the AEFJ was signed in April, but it comes into force now.

As Minister Alberto Garzón explained at the time, the code aims to become a "European reference" by including the express prohibition of using the image of girls in advertisements aimed at minors in a discriminatory or vexatious manner.

“When in the ads the boy gets the action toy and the girl gets the baby to take care of, we are telling them the job and social position we expect of them,” he said.

With this tool, the ads will be "more egalitarian, truthful and constructive, fundamental aspects for the protection and development of children," he concluded.

In December, the ministers Garzón and Irene Montero (Equality) signed a forum in El País precisely to fight against these stereotypes in the sector.

More information

Garzón y Montero Tribune: 'Sexism is not a boy's game, nor a girl's game!'

How will these ads be controlled?

According to Maite Francés,

marketing

director of the AEFJ, manufacturers must send the ad to Autocontrol, an independent advertising self-regulation body: "This entity applies the new code and issues an opinion, if it is positive it is issued, if it is negative it is not may issue, or may require modifications to be made before issuing it.

post control

In addition, continues Francés, once the advertisements are broadcast, there is a subsequent control through the Children's Toy Advertising Monitoring Commission.

“It is chaired by the General Directorate of Consumer Affairs, and toy manufacturers, advertisers and the National Commission for Markets and Competition are present, and there they tell us what cases they detect and can request the correction or withdrawal of campaigns a posteriori.

It has already happened that campaigns have been withdrawn even in the middle of Christmas ”.

Individuals can also complain to Autocontrol if they consider that an advertisement violates the rules.

For the toy makers' spokesperson, “toy advertising in Spain is the strictest of the entire environment, foreign advertisements are not broadcast as is, and this implies a cost.

When an advertisement from England or Germany arrives in Spain, they are obliged to reference the size of the product and include our specifics, and that implies a cost.

In addition, we have pioneered a pictogram system to make it easier for children to understand.”

Rubén Sánchez, spokesman for the Facua consumer association, is not so optimistic.

“He is committed to self-regulation that leaves consumer associations on the sidelines.

The procedure avoids changing the legislation, that is, they are not mandatory regulations, so the worst thing that could happen is urging the advertiser to withdraw a sexist campaign, but they cannot be penalized for it.

In their opinion, this agreement has been negotiated "apart from society", which is why they do not value it positively: "We would like to have participated in the design of the code, but above all we would like there to be a legal tool that includes fines and sanctions for those who fail to comply.

Source: elparis

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