Celebration as renowned toy store removes certain filter from website

Following complaints from parents concerned by the implications born of gender-based marketing, world-famous toy store, Toys R Us, have made the decision to remove the gender filter from their UK website.

As a result of the move, motivated by increasing pressure from parenting and campaign groups, the store now invites customers to peruse their produce with the help of age, brand and group filters, but no longer provides a gender categorisation function.

The decision was spurred on by customer complaints which cited a child’s reluctance to engage with a certain toy on the basis it was categorised in a gender-specific way.

By removing the gender filter from their website, Toys R Us are joining fellow retailers, such as Tesco and Marks & Spencer, in adopting a more unisex approach to their produce.

The move will come as welcome news to politicians and campaigners who have asserted that categorising children’s toys based on gender can have a knock-on effect in the future, with many girls choosing not to study subjects such as science and engineering on account of early exposure to gender stereotyping.

Do you welcome the news?