Disgusted by the spurt in crimes against women, Bollywood actors have come out in the open to talk about this menace and voice their opinion on ways to curb it. “It’s not about teaching our girls the way to behave or dress in the public; it’s about making our boys sensitive towards the issue. I will not tolerate it if my sons misbehave with girls and that lesson begins at home,” Shah Rukh Khan said recently.
Similarly, actor Akshay Kumar said, “Why do we have to differentiate between boys and girls in the first place?” Well,we start differentiating with our sons and daughters – and that could be construed as the reason for the spiralling crime against women. The differentiation starts very early; most toys on the shelves come in either blue or pink. It’s only in the 1940s that this trend started, companies figured out they could sell more just by changing the colour, fonts and language on the packaging.
“The segmentation started with Barbies and Hot Wheels. Parents were very clear in their heads — get a gun or a car for a boy (because he is supposed to be macho) and a doll for a girl (she is soft and feminine)! What started as a marketing gimmick became a norm,” said Neel Thakur, an activist.
What Are Gendered Products
Products which come packaged separately for boys and girls. There is little difference in the product itself – minute changes in the colour packaging and wording on it.
Some examples
1 Cotton swabs for boys and girls.
2 Breads for boys and girls. The one for boys reads ‘loaded with calcium’ while the girls’ bread is high in protein.
3 Earplugs for boys comes in a blue package while the pink ones come with a tagline – ‘even girls need earplugs’!
4 The block stacking game, Jenna, got a feminine face-lift in its Girl Talk iteration.
Is Gender Segmentation Essential?
ØThe problem is that gender specificity has become so entrenched in our mindset that boys fear to choose (or like) anything “pink” or “purple”. They feel it takes away from their masculinity. This gives rise to bigger stereotypes in their minds.
Nandita Das, actor
I love the blue colour but I remember my parents trying very hard to make me love shades of pink. I don’t see why products need to be a segmented in any way. But before blaming the companies, let’s do some soul searching. It is we, as parents, who discourage our children from playing with toys that we believe, do not ‘gel’ with their gender.
Ritu Dhawan, author
Gender differentiation which started out with silly products has made its way into other genres as well. Suddenly there are sports for boys and sports for girls. I am glad some of us have managed to break away from the shackles. Unfortunately, there is still a long way to go.
Mary Kom, boxer
Students Take
Why do we have different shampoos for boys and shampoos for girls? Isn’t hair growth the same for both? Such segmentation has a deeper connotation.
Aditi Mittal, class XII, DPS International School, Delhi
The last time I went shopping, there was a cold cream for boys and a different one for girls in two different shades. How predictable! But scientific research has proven that skin type has nothing to do with gender. Why a separate cream for boys!
Dhriti K, class XI, SPDCC, Bangalore
It’s sad that gender differentiation is being taught t a very tender age. Girls are supposed to like only kitchen sets while there are trains for boys.
Rohit Kulkarni, class X, Lotus Valley, Noidaa
Do You Think Gendered Products Are A Nuisance? Have You Come Across Some Weird Segmentations In The Stores? Let Us Know