Melbourne children’s services to vet all books and toys

Preschools and libraries will be forced to check all books and toys in play areas to ensure they are ‘gender equitable’ and do not set stereotypes for boys and girls. 

A guide book intended to quash gender stereotypes picked up by children in play areas has been produced by the Melbourne’s Darebin City Council. 

The Creating Gender Equity in the Early Years guide sets out to help children’s services monitor gender equality across resources including books, toys and posters, The Australian reported. 

The Creating Gender Equity in the Early Years guide sets out to help children’s services monitor gender equality across resources including books, toys and posters

The guide will encourage preschools, childcare centres and libraries to audit tools that may play a part in unbalanced gender roles following research violence against women is connected to gender inequality,   

‘It is important to not only think about who is where and how often, but are they doing there?’ the guide states. 

‘What are the storylines of their play telling you about what the children think are the normal roles for women and men?’  

Darebin Council’s preventing violence against women officer Teneille Summers said research reflects the link between family violence and gender equality.  

Darebin council’s preventing violence against women officer Teneille Summers said research reflects the link between family violence and gender equality

‘If girls are interested in playing with dolls, that’s fine, as long as we’re not preventing them from exploring other interests as well,’ Ms Summers said. 

She believes it is about creating opportunities for both sex in all areas of the play corners. 

‘I think early years educators are considering a lot of this ­already but they wouldn’t necessarily think about it as preventing family violence. But that is what they are doing.’