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November 5, 2021
The LEGO Group has become the English national sponsor of the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 as part of its ‘Ready for Girls’ female empowerment campaign celebrating girls who rebuild the story of old-fashioned gender norms. The Championship will be held in England from July 6-31, 2022.
The Ready for Girls campaign celebrates girls who are rebuilding the world through creative problem solving and challenging outdated gender stereotypes. “The benefits of creative play such as building confidence, creativity and communication skills are felt by all children and yet we still experience age-old stereotypes that label activities as only being suitable for one specific gender,” said Julia Goldin, CMO LEGO Group.
“At the LEGO Group we know we have a role to play in putting this right, and this campaign is one of several initiatives we are putting in place to raise awareness of the issue and ensure we make LEGO play as inclusive as possible. All children should be able to reach their true creative potential.”
The partnership brings together both organisations’ shared values around inclusive play for all children, inspiring positive change for future generations and helping kids realise their unique talents and potential. The LEGO Group is planning a series of initiatives in the run-up to the tournament that will further champion these values and provide fun, interactive ways for fans to get involved.
The tournament is due to be the biggest women’s European sport event in history, taking place in ten stadiums across nine cities. There will be over 700,000 tickets available with extensive coverage. As part of its legacy, the tournament aims to inspire long-term, sustainable positive change in women’s and girls’ football.
“The addition of this major brand is further proof of the scale of this event and our ambition to make it the biggest women’s European sport event ever. It is important for us to have partners on board who share the same values, working together collectively to deliver what is set to be a record-breaking tournament that further grows the women’s game,” said Guy-Laurent Epstein, Director of Marketing at UEFA.
A recent study from the LEGO Group and Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media found that girls feel less restrained by typical gender biases than boys when it comes to creative play. 74% of boys versus 62% of girls believe that some activities are just meant for girls, while others are meant for boys. The study also found that girls and boys are more open to different types of creative play compared to what their parents and society typically encourage. For example, 82% of girls believe it’s okay for girls to play football and boys to practice ballet, compared to only 71% of boys.
It also showed that despite progress made in girls brushing off prejudice at an early age, general attitudes surrounding play and creative careers remain unequal and restrictive. Following the study commissioned to mark the International Day of the Girl, the LEGO Group committed to removing gender stereotypes from its products.
“We know that different types of play are still heavily judged as being gender-specific, which is why we are committed to championing inclusive play and ensuring that children’s creative ambitions – both now and in the future – are not limited by gender stereotypes. It’s fantastic to see the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 tournament getting more and more prominence and we’re proud to help support this by being a national sponsor for 2022,” said Isabel Graham, Head of Marketing, the LEGO Group UK and Ireland.
Source: The Brick Fan
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