The government of France is moving to ban child beauty pageants in the country, as the Parliament argued that such pageants promote the hyper-sexualisation of minors.
The new bill was adopted by the Senate, by 196 votes to 146 on September 17, 2013 and it now needs to be passed by the National Assembly, before it becomes a law. People who organize such pageants will most likely face a jail term of up to two years, as well as a fine of 30,000 euros. The recent measures were taken after a photo shoot in Vogue magazine stirred up controversy.
In December 2010, the photos were published which showed a girl of ten years – along with two others – and all three girls were wearing tight dresses with high heels and expensive jewellery, as well as heavy makeup. Vogue defended these pictures by saying that they simply depict the common fantasy among young girls to dress and look like their mothers.
The Parliament also heard a report titled Against Hyper-Sexualization: A New Fight for Equality, which urged for a ban on beauty pageants for girls under the age of 16. Report also recommended other measures which were not included in the bill, such as a ban on child-size adult clothing like padded bras and high-heeled shoes.
Photo Credits: Guardian
