Let's look a bit closer.
What do you notice in this image?
A first thing might be the clear division of "girls toys" and "boys toys," where girls get pink things and boys get blue things.
A second thing you might notice is what exactly those toys are. Girls get toys associated with mothering, household work, and beauty, while boys get toys associated with construction and engineering, firefighting, and piloting.
But these toys aren't just divided by colour (pink and blue) — there is more going on here:
The Hidden Message in Gendered Toys
On the blue side, we see LOTS of options, and they include skills and careers that are valued in society. They are seen as "real" and important work.
On the pink side, we see far fewer options. They are also activities that are not usually seen as "real work" or impressive career paths.
Reflect: What messages does this send about femininity and masculinity?
As we will explore further in this workbook, femininity is seen as less valuable than masculinity and is defined in very narrow or limited and "controlled" ways (Hoskin, 2020).
© We Are Family, 2026
