30 March 2023

At Fawcett, we want to support all children to be who they want to be. 

Sign up for Equal Play now and join the movement to close the gender play gap.

Presenting Equal Play: our new campaign sponsored by Wates Group, to support parents, care givers and influential adults to challenge gender stereotypes with their kids.

• Catch up on our most recent online panel discussion, Class Action: Teaching beyond stereotypes

Stereotypes contribute towards the mental health crisis among children and young people, are at the root of girls’ problems with body image and eating disorders, higher male suicide rates and violence against women and girls. Stereotyped assumptions also significantly limit career choices and contribute to the gender pay gap. Ultimately, stereotypes limit children’s freedom and stop them from being themselves.

But we know parents, care givers, teachers and practitioners all want to make a difference and there are small, practical ways to challenge stereotypes in our interactions with children.

Equal Play will provide parents and caregivers with tips and resources that you can incorporate into your everyday life. Along the way, there will be events, insights from experts and opportunities to feed in your own experiences.

Over the coming months, we will be sharing resources and hosting a series of Equal Play events to support adults challenging gender stereotypes with the kids they care for. 

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The Evidence

Equal Play is based on findings from Unlimited Potential: the report of our Commission on Gender Stereotypes in Early Childhood.

The report was the culmination of an 18-month process of research and evidence gathering, bringing together an influential group of stakeholders, from experts and politicians to civil society organisations such as Mumsnet and the National Childbirth Trust, to the National Education Union and campaigners Let Toys Be Toys, to Usborne Books and educational publisher Pearson Plc.

Research shows that gender stereotypes result in girls, by the age of six, avoiding subjects they view as requiring them to be "really, really smart" which reads across to lower take-up of STEM subjects later in life. 

The Commission reviewed existing literature, held evidence gathering sessions and spoke to parents, experts and practitioners. The full findings can be accessed here.

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Top Tips from Equal Play

There are small changes we can all make everyday to avoid gender stereotypes with our kids. This downloadable list of top tips is full of practical, simple suggestions for making a start.

Print these tips in A4 and stick them on the fridge or in the staff room.

• Equal Play's Top Tips for Parents and Caregivers 
• Equal Play's Top Tips for Practitioners

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Want to get involved? 

• Catch up on previous Equal Play online events:
  • Class Action: Teaching beyond stereotypes
  • Unlimited Potential: Careers free from stereotypes
  • Boys Online: Parenting against internet misogyny
• Sign up to our newsletter to be the first to hear more from Equal Play as we publish resources and announce our next events