The Universal Declaration of Human Rights begins, “Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world…”
Just pause for a moment to consider this. The recognition of everyone’s dignity. Everyone has equal rights. And this, just this, is the “foundation of freedom, justice, and peace.” Sounds simple, right?
On paper, these words make sense and I’m sure few would disagree with them. But look around you, and you’ll see that plenty of messages abound that fail to recognize the dignity that we all have within us or that fail to give us full rights. Take, for example, children’s toys. A simple walk into a large toy store tells you that boys have the “right” to play with certain toys and girls with others. And it is NOT “right” if they play with each other’s toys. Even if they want to, someone is bound to tell them it’s wrong, whether it’s a peer making fun of the boy with the doll or a grandparent telling a granddaughter that trains are only for boys. What happens, in these small moments, to the dignity of that boy and girl? Slowly, in a split second, it is diminished. Perhaps only a bit, but it is diminished. And their rights? They too, are narrowed. That boy has his right to play with dolls called into question. Similarly, the girl’s right to play with trains is called into question.
While that may seem minor, it is the underlying message that is troubling. And these are not just messages sent by misguided friends and relatives. These are messages that bombard us and our young ones everyday, from every direction. Messages that don’t just say “you can’t play with dolls,” if you’re a boy, but that say “you are not a nurturer; you are not a caretaker.” Or “you are not an engineer; you cannot create and build.” These bigger messages cut away the core of children’s human rights – the right to have wide-open futures. The right to explore all areas of life, to develop their own passions, regardless of the social pressures placed upon them.
Returning to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: When we deny children these rights of self-expression, exploration, individuality, we deny ourselves and our society freedom, justice, and peace. When you think of it like that, the simple boxing in of our children or denying them certain avenues in their play sounds profound. And it is. And it’s time that more of us pay heed and think twice before we cut away at freedom, justice, and peace.
a boy's place is in the kitchen!
**Note: You can find a version of this article posted on the Gender Examiner — another venue where I’ve begun to contribute. Have a look!
But at the same time, we have to recognize that some toys are gendered by design. As a child in the late 60s/early 70s, I had a substantial collection of GI Joe dolls and there was no peer or adult pressure against playing with them, as the “GI Joe Adventure Team” toy line had “boy” written all over it. In a similar vein, there’s “Barbie.” The Barbie toy line is very much for girls and meant to reinforce the feminine identity.
Barbie has the “dream house” and GI Joe had the “Training Camp.”
But I agree with the sentiment; if a girl wants to play with a train or a boy wants to get an “Easy Bake Oven,” they should be empowered to do so…we have male chefs and female train engineers. We should get over those hangups.