Breaking Down Gender Stereotypes in Media and Toys so that Our Children Can Explore, Learn, and Dream Without Limits

Research shows that children’s interests, ambitions, and skills can be shaped early on by the media they consume and the toys with which they play, potentially influencing everything from the subjects they choose to study to the careers they ultimately pursue. Consequently, those early experiences can affect not just their development and life choices, but the composition of our workforce and the strength of our economy for decades to come. For example, right now, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) industries offer some of the highest-paying, most in-demand careers – there are over 600,000 unfilled jobs in information technology alone – yet women hold only 29 percent of STEM jobs.

In order to help close these gender gaps in our workforce, children need to be exposed to diverse role models and taught a variety of skills so they can develop their talents and pursue their passions without limits, and so that we as a nation can meet the needs of our economy in the coming years. To discuss how to meet this challenge, representatives from toy, media, and retail companies; leaders of youth-serving organizations; parents; researchers; advocates; and others are coming together for a day-long conference sponsored by the White House Council on Women and Girls, The Department of Education, and the Media, Diversity, & Social Change Initiative at the University of Southern California. As part of this conference, the following companies and organizations have committed to taking new action to break down gender stereotypes in toys and media to help children to explore, learn, and dream without limits.