Stories That Matter...Gender Stereotypes in Portuguese Children's Literature

Children's literature has, since its inception, walked hand in hand with representations of both the real and an idealized world. Across different political contexts, including periods of dictatorship and democracy, these books have maintained their subtle or overt mission to act as mirrors, windows, and doors to other realities (Bishop, 1990). They inspire “young generations to question the society around them, their civic participation within it, and the right and duty to think and act freely and democratically” (Balça et al., 2018, p. 2).

Gender self-determination and expression remain areas of risk and uncertainty in contemporary democratic societies, as highlighted by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA, 2020). Children’s literature that dares to address these themes faces constant attempts at censorship, boycotts, and persecution of authors associated with such subjects (American Library Association, ALA, 2024).

A central challenge for modern democracies is ensuring free access to literature, especially those promoting models of gender equality and diversity, in line with the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals, including Gender Equality.

Aligned with these principles, the National Reading Plan (PNL), a public policy initiative aimed at improving literacy levels and fostering active citizenship and democratic access to information (Diário da República, 2017), highlights its responsibility in promoting quality literature.

This study presents a sociological, feminist, and literary analysis of main characters in contemporary Portuguese children’s literature, focusing on PNL-recommended books for children aged six to eight from 2009-2019. It examines how these characters reflect trends in gender representation and diversity, including intersectionality. Through text and visual elements, the study profiles characters by frequency, gender, and ethnicity. Persistent female underrepresentation and binary gender reinforcement reveal the impact of political and social dynamics, stressing the importance of continuous vigilance to ensure progress toward a more inclusive and democratic literature.