In the shops, there are dozens of children’s toys, books and games. Pop-up tents shaped like castles are on sale, with a different type apparently designed ‘for each gender’. Ordinary castle has a picture of a boy on it. Pink-ified castle has a picture of a girl on it. Same with books: storybook labelled ‘for boys’ has stories about pirates, dinosaurs and robots. Storybook labelled ‘for girls’ has stories about princesses, ballet and horses. Sticker books and colouring books are horrifyingly similar, while even a storybook with no gender labels shows on the cover a boy in a pirate hat and a girl with a pink crown.
