The latest version of Monopoly is taking on a big social issue – the gender pay gap.
It’s called Ms. Monopoly.
The rules are a bit altered from the original board game to give female players a leg up.
Women start with $1,900, while men only start with $1,500. Women also get $240 for passing go and men get the standard $200. There are some cards that give advantages to the men but they are limited.
Some have criticized the new version of the game, calling it a gimmick. Others, however, say it sends a great message about gender equality.
"Choosing the gender gap in wage is I think pretty bold and it's you know Monopoly is played majority by kids and so reaching them in an early age and telling the gals that they're just as valued if not more valued than men based on what they do. I think it's a great story," said Keith Meyers, owner of Board Game Republic.
Meyers started working in the board game industry as a teen and is well aware of this the game and its social commentary.
"I know some of the people who work at Hasbro and I applaud them for their efforts in what they've done," said Meyers.
If you know the history of Monopoly, this new version is especially interesting because of who originally created the popular board game.
"A mistaken conception is hat Charles Darrow was the inventor of it but it was actually Elizabeth Magie," said Meyers. "It was based off of Elizabeth Magie’s game that was actually built to show the bad side of monopolies and you know the whole tenant landlord issues."
Ms. Monopoly pays homage to monopoly's original intent nearly 100 year ago. The game is also teaching a younger generation that women can make as much as men do, if not more.
