French senators vote to ban child beauty contests

[redqueen]

Judging children under the age of 16 on their physical appearance in so-called “beauty contests” will become a criminal offence in France, the French Senate ruled on Tuesday night.

The new law forms part of the new “equality bill” presented to the French Senate on Monday by France’s Minister for Women’s Rights, Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, which also included legislation to tackle unequal pay, domestic violence and to encourage fathers to take parental leave.

...

In the Senate on Tuesday centrist Senator Chantal Jouanno, author of a report "Against Hyper-Sexualisation: A New Fight For Equality" proposed an ammendment to the bill, banning the underage contests, which was backed by 196 senators, with 146 voting against it.

...

“Let’s not let our daughters think from such a young age that they will be judged according to their appearance. Let’s not let commercial interest impact on social interest,” Jouanno told the Senate.

...

http://www.thelocal.fr/20130918/french-senate-bans-child-beauty-contests

re: That last sentence - yeah, because it's not like they're getting that message from everywhere else.

Oh well, it's a start.

[seabeyond]

1. so, does this make the french "european progressive" or repressed, prudish, puritans...

this mish mash of it all.

[dipsydoodle]

2. Good

“Let’s not let our daughters think from such a young age that they will be judged according to their appearance."

[NYC_SKP]

3. Good. Shame that it will probably never happen here.

Might impinge on free enterprise or some crap.

When I think of the loss of revenue to the hair, makeup, fashion, diet, and self-help book and therapy industries, well the economy would crash!

Sick industries and mostly unnecessary were it not for our sick culture.

[shenmue]

4. Good for France

[gopiscrap]

5. excellent it's about time and we should do the same in the US

[MadrasT]

6. Good because it is creepy as fuck.

I don't know how people parade their daughters around like little objects for public consumption, it is disgusting.

[GeoWilliam750]

7. Good

I also wonder about some of the children's clothing lines that show elementary school girls in sexualised contexts.