Gender Neutrality
by Wendy J. MillerWhy is pink used by manufacturers to represent items that are targeted at women? Do we only like pink or purple? Did anyone ever think that it might be an actual product that we want to buy and if it only comes in pink – oh well – but women aren’t necessarily buying the item because it’s pink.
It’s already old news that BIC has developed pink and purple pens for women called “for Her.” “Beautifull smooth with an easy glide,” the pens are described in the technical specs as being "designed to fit comfortably in a woman's hand" with an "attractive barrel design available in pink and purple." To think we’ve been using man pens for all this time – and without any instructions.
It is new, however, that
Honda has manufactured a vehicle called “Honda Fit She’s” – available in the
predictable pink, OR – here’s a new one – “eyeliner brown.” Currently it’s only being sold in Japan, but
the features designed to attract women include a “Plasmacluster” climate
control system that is claimed to “improve skin quality,” a windshield “that
prevents wrinkles,” a pink interior stitching, “tutti-frutti-hued” chrome
bezels, and a little heart shape instead of an apostrophe in the word “She’s.”
What about toys being
manufactured as gender neutral so anyone can play with whatever appeals to
them? Currently, McKenna Pope, a
13-year-old girl from New Jersey has written to Hasbro (the manufacturers of
the Easy Bake oven) to ask them why the toy is available only in pink. You see, her little brother wants to be a
chef and she is challenging the notion – as traditional as the little oven
itself – that cooking is a female domain.
More than 18,000 people have already signed a petition in support of her
initiative.
Lego developed some
“girly” products – one with a hair salon, a rehearsal stage with dressing room
furnishings, a pet salon, and a city pool – all in pinks and purples. Games are also being developed (like Hasbro’s “Guess Who”)
that has fewer female characters than male ones, thereby giving anyone who
picked a woman for the guessing game a clear disadvantage.
What kind of message do gender-specific products send? How can
we change the minds of manufacturers to make their products more gender
neutral? Let’s hear from you...
