gender neutral can mean a variety of things, depending on the context it is given.

As an identity, it may relate to being agender, neutrois or the vast array of gender identities that are wholly or partly without gender.

It also refers to the idea that policies, language and social institutions – such as structures, roles, norms and identities – should avoid distinguishing between genders; in order to prevent discrimination or ascribe gender roles that assert one particular gender is more suited for them than another.

An example of gender neutral language would be to refer to an audience as “people” or “folks” rather than “ladies and gentlemen”; a “police officer” rather than a “policeman” or “policewoman”.

A particular push has been given towards gender neutrality in many areas, particularly when it comes to objects like toys. Traditionally, there have been girls and boys toys, based on ascribed gender traits and marketed as such: for example, boys toys traditionally have been toy guns, cars, etc; whilst girls toys traditionally have been crowns, dolls, etc. However, there has been an increasing push not to separate toys in gender groups, and that toys should be enjoyed by either gender according to their interests; and to prevent ascribing gender roles at an early age.

Increasingly, there is a surge in parents deciding to raise their children in a gender neutral fashion – that is, to raise them without pushing gender norms and roles on them, to allow them to experience and enjoy life away from the ascribed gender binary to reach their potential as individual human beings, rather than to be limited by their biological sex.