A new Ms. Monopoly game is here to address the gender pay gap

As if regular Monopoly doesn’t get the general public riled up enough, Hasbro has launched a Ms. Monopoly board game that draws attention to the gender wage gap. And, as you can imagine, the idea of women doing better than men in a capitalist environment is ruffling a few feathers.

According to USA Today, which spoke with Hasbro, the aim of Ms. Monopoly is to draw attention to female trailblazers, and it’s the first version of the board game designed in a way in which “women make more than men.”

The game, which is currently for sale at Walmart ($19.99), is marketed to children who may not yet be aware of the gender inequality crisis.

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At the top of the game, female players are given $1,900 in Monopoly Money whereas male players are given $1,500. And female players get $240 every time they pass “Go,” while men only receive $200. Then, rather than investing in real estate like in the classic Monopoly game, players invest in women-led inventions and companies like solar heating, shapewear, and bulletproof vests.

The game is meant to teach children about gender inequality and its presence in the current U.S. capitalist system. It’s in no way meant to freeze out male players, and, as Boswinkel told USA Today, it’s totally possible that a male player could win.

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But because Ms. Monopoly has “feminism” written all over it, some people are coming for Hasbro’s neck. Oh, no. We’ve angered the men. Whatever shall we do?

Ms. Monopoly even has some women upset. Huh.

Personal…choices? Um…

People seem to be missing the point of Ms. Monopoly. It’s not here to replace the OG Monopoly, which was originally created by Elizabeth Magie to teach people about the evils of capitalist monopolies.

Like Magie’s original version of the game, Ms. Monopoly is supposed to be used as a teaching tool. But this time, it’s being used to point out the inequality that exists in real life by flipping that notion on its head within the gameplay.

And tbh, Monopoly hasn’t always been used as a teaching tool, but rather a good opportunity to market some weird stuff and make Hasbro money…

The company is now circling back to Magie’s intended goal for the board game, but adding a twist to it to teach the younger generation about another flaw in the system. (And sure, it is making some money along the way. Obvi.)

For those of you who are upset by Ms. Monopoly, there’s a simple solution: don’t buy the game. But if feminist families want to teach their kids about the wage gap in a fun, interactive way, then we support them in doing so.