Gender Labelling - Children's Toys.

So I recently saw this picture on my twitterfeed. Courtesy of LetToysbeToys. This example in particular is pretty terrible. When there are toys such as trucks and cars I sometimes have associated those as mainly toys for boys, I don't think this is right by the way. But the 'Chemistry Set' being labelled as for boys seems to hit me harder for some reason. It is just perpecuating the old-fashioned stereotypes of what boys and girls are supposed to enjoy playing with, and more seriously what they should want to do at school and later on as a career.

Now, I'm sure many would say that these labels will not stop children playing with what they want, and I agree. I played with legos, cars, my older brother's chemistry set, a toy microscope and many other toys that some would associate with boys. I also loved to play with dolls, kitchen sets, barbies, etc.
But then surely, if a child can play with anything they want. What is the purpose of gender labelling anyway?

From reading my twitter, having many complained to Tesco, this was their initial reply, which I'm sure many will see as very strange, "based on research":

@lettoysbetoys Toy signage is currently based on research and how our customers tell us they like to shop in our stores
— Tesco Customer Care (@UKTesco) May 4, 2013

 I'm happy that action is being taken, but there are so many cases of this.
 In some ways, I don't think these labels effect what children play with. I hope that parents will see these labels and not limit what their child can play with, and I believe that most parents are better than this. I also hope a child will not stop themselves playing with something because it is deemed 'a boy's toy' or 'girly'. Personally I feel these labels send a very bad message generally in our society.

The biggest problem I have is that it is the toy companies that are actually doing the labelling. Someone purposely labelled that 'Chemistry Set' for boys. What does that say about people's opinion of what girls and boys should do? Surely what feminism has been campaigning for all these years is to get rid of these ideas of what women should and shouldn't do! This one example is not helping the idea that girls can be a scientist if they want to be, and it is showing. Women are still under-represented in jobs related to Science, Maths, Engineering positions - (Guardian Article).

This example is just one way that gender labelling is to continue having a detrimental effect on the progress towards gender equality. Toys don't need to be for a certain gender, there is literally no need. If all labels like this could be removed, then maybe it would help reduce other damaging stereotypes of boys and girls. The ideas that boys need to be tough while girls should be sensitive and gentle. All of these things continue to limit what girls and boys should do!

Just some of my thoughts.
Thanks for reading!