It's plain wrong: Group's call on new packaging laws for children's toys to stop domestic violence and gender inequality is labelled 'utterly illogical'
- Australian women's rights group calls for plain packing on children's toys
- Adelaide-based group made the proposal in a senate inquiry submission
- It argues plain packaging laws would help stop violence against women
- The laws the group has proposed are similar to ones for cigarettes
- But policy advisors labelled the suggestion as 'ridiculous' and 'absurd'
A women's rights group is calling for plain packaging on children's toys to fight against domestic violence and gender inequality.
The Zonta Club of Adelaide made the proposal in its submission[3] to a senate inquiry into both issues.
The group argued plain packaging laws similar to those brought in for cigarettes on children's products - such as toys, clothing and cosmetics - would stop gender stereotypes contributing to 'cultu ral conditions which support domestic violence'.
A women's rights group is calling for plain packaging on children's toys to fight against domestic violence and gender inequality. Above is stock image
'Sexualisation of young children through products, dress, toys and cosmetics reinforces that girls should be sexy, submissive and boys should be dominant, macho, important and strong,' the group wrote.
'These products reinforce boys to grow to males that can be powerful and strong and that girls need to be attractive and submissive to males.
'[We] suggest making a campaign like the successful plain packaging of cigarettes.
'If products for children did not have macho and dominant images for boys and sexy submissive images for girls then children are not having this image and concepts reinforced by the community in which they live.'
The group argued plain packaging laws similar to those brought in for cigarettes (pictured) on children's products would stop gender stereotypes contributing to 'cultural conditions which support domestic violence'
The Zonta Club of Adelaide made the proposal its submission into a senate inquiry into domestic violence and gender inequality
Feminist commentator Melinda Tankard Reist, who is a co-founder of Collective Shout, said gender stereotypes enforced by children's toys was just the tip of the iceberg when it came to violence against women and gender inequality.
'The question to be asked in the first place is "Why are the toys [that sexualise girls] are being created in the first place?"' she told Daily Mail Australia.
'This a micro factor that excuses and gives permission to tolerate bad behaviour in men. It should be looked at every level.'
Ms Tankard Reist's organisation, Collective Shout, had not specifically addressed the issue of plain packaging for toys in their submission to the same inquiry but saw the merits of the proposal.
'It's worth having a discussion around that as well as around everything else, such as the harms of pornography contributing to gender stereotypes and violence agai nst women,' Ms Tankard Reist said.
Feminist commentator Melinda Tankard Reist said gender stereotypes enforced by children's toys was just the tip of the iceberg when it came to violence against women. Above is a stock image of boys looking at toys
Feminist commentator Melinda Tankard Reist (right) saw the merits of the proposal but Institute of Public Affairs policy director Simon Breheny (left) labelled it 'completely absurd'
But Institute of Public Affairs policy director Simon Breheny told Daily Mail Australia the suggestion made by the Zonta Club of Adelaide was 'utterly illogical'.
He went on further to say it was 'one of the weirdest and dumbest policy ideas', according to The Australian.
'Trying to associate domestic violence with the packing of children's toys is completely absurd,' Mr Breheny said.
'The thing that really struck me is the ridiculousness of the proposal.
'We thought [plain packaging] would always spread to other areas... [with] alcohol or fast food but I have to say I was pretty surprised to see it in the context of children's toys.
'It strikes me as a thought bubble and not much thought was put into it.
'There's no evidence to back it up.'
Collective Shout's submission to the senate inquiry focuses on the 'increasing pornification of culture and the way its messages have become entrenched in mainstream society'.
The 'sexploitation' campaigners' submission focussed on prostitu tion, pornography and the sexualisation of women and girls in advertising, marketing, the media and popular culture.
It argued these avenues reinforced the message to women and girls that 'their only value is their sex appeal'.
The submission made recommendations such as prostitution and pornography be recognised as violence against women, and the prevalence of sexualised images of females in society be recognised as a 'significant underlying contributor' to violence against women and girls.
References
- ^ Louise Cheer for Daily Mail Australia (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ 18 View comments (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ submission (www.aph.gov.au)