London
Thomson Reuters Foundation
Monopoly is turning the gender pay gap upside down with a new version of the board game where women earn more than men, its creators – inspired by female trailblazers – said last week.
Ms Monopoly replaces the game’s familiar mustachioed real-estate mogul on the box with his female investor niece, as players compete to collect inventions made by women, including bullet proof vests and wifi, rather than properties.
Players participate in a Guinness world record attempt taking place across the world for the largest simultaneous game of Monopoly, at a hotel in Madrid, on 27th August 2008. PICTURE: Reuters/Paul Hanna.
But perhaps the biggest change is that women players will get higher payouts of Monopoly money than men, said its makers Hasbro toy firm – though men can still win if they play their cards right.
“We want to recognise and celebrate the many contributions women have made to our society and continue to make on a daily basis,” said Hasbro spokeswoman Jen Boswinkel.
The game will give female payers a boost with a higher payout to start investing at the beginning of the game, plus a higher payout every time they pass Go, according to stockists at Walmart chain store.
It’s a far cry from real life, with women working full-time in the United States last year earning 80 per cent of what men take home on average, according to the US Census Bureau.
The game is intended to highlight women who have challenged the status quo, said Hasbro, adding that women held only about 10 per cent of all patented inventions.
Hasbro marked the launch by handing out thousands of dollars to young women working on innovations including a device that helps detect lead in drinking water and an invention to detect sinkholes before they occur.
It comes after a Polish designer created an all-female version of the board game “Who’s She?” with the aim of encouraging children to learn more about famous women.
