By Sarah Rae Fruchtnicht, Wed, September 18, 2013
This week, the French senate passed a ban on children under the age of 16 competing in beauty pageants, a parliamentary report said.
Anyone who enters a child into a beauty pageant could face up to two years in jail and a $40,000 fine.
The vote to amend the law on women’s rights turned up 196 in favor of the measure, with 146 in opposition.
Conservative lawmaker and author of the amendment Chantal Jouanno said the amendment is aimed at protecting young girls.
"The foundations of equal rights are threatened by the hyper-sexualization that affects children ... between 6 and 12 years old," said Jouanno.
"At this age, you need to concentrate on acquiring knowledge. Yet with mini-Miss competitions and other demonstrations, we are fixing the projectors on their physical appearance. I have a hard time seeing how these competitions are in the greater interest of the child."
The law doesn’t affect male pageants because France doesn’t have them, Jouanno said.
"When I asked an organizer why there were no mini-boy contests, I heard him respond that boys would not lower themselves like that."
It is unclear whether “pretty baby” contests will also fall under the ban, Fox News reported.
The measure was proposed after Vogue magazine featured an image of a provocative 10-year-old French girl in December 2010, according to Raw Story.
The girl, Thylane Loubry Blondeau, was wearing tight clothing, heels and heavy makeup. In the 2011 documentary film “Girl Model,” former model turned scout Ashley Arbaugh repeatedly states that overseas, in Asia and Europe, models as young as 11 and 12 routinely appear in sexualized images in advertisements, whereas is America there is no market for models that age.
Sources: Fox News, Raw Story
http://www.opposingviews.com/i/society/france-bans-beauty-pageants-kids-under-16-combat-hyper-sexualization-children
