MEPs have voted for regulations on the representation of women in the media.
Although opting by of a proposed ‘porn ban’, the EU assembly voted 368 in favor of wide-ranging proposals to end the sexualisation of women and girls.
The proposals were tabled by Dutch left-wing women's liberationist MEP Kartika Liotard.
Her original proposals, outlined in a hide c anyed “Eliminating sex activity stereotypes in the EU,” had included a “ban on all forms of pornography in the media”.
But there was some outcry and sound off about the definition of ‘media’, and the MEPs dropped banning pornography.
The report is aimed at ever-changing the flair that women and girls are portrayed in the media, in an look for to stop the damage sexualisation ignore cause.
The report highlights a massive spectrum of ways in which gender stereotypes are prevalent, covering areas from media and culture, preparation and training, the labour market and economic and political decision-making.
It makes suggestions in severally of these areas as to how gender equity roll in the hay be achieved.
It is cause reading, and for a feminist, it lays out very clearly and succinctly on the dot where many of us already feel our societies are sledding wrong.
However, not everyone feels this way.
Marina Yannakoudakis, MEP, remained critical of the report’s proposals despite the falling of the ban.
“This would be a charter for ultra-feminist interference in the way countries choose to run their media systems,” she said.
“As such it would do women and women’s rights more harm than good.”
It is onerous to see how her opinion is validated.
Indeed, I would argue that the opposite is true, and that to do nothing about the proliferation of passing sexualised run acrosss of women would do far greater harm.
In regard to the media representation of women the report notes that there is an ”increasingly noticeable tendency…to show provocatively dressed women, in sexual poses.”
In the UK last form feminist groups OBJECT and Turn Your Back on Page 3 submitted evidence to the Leveson Enquiry about the personation of women in the British press.
Their submission makes for pretty stomach-churning reading, showing ‘A Week in the Life of The Sun, The Daily Star and The Sport’.
They point out clearly the links between images of women in the media and the harm it tush cause:
“The links between sex object culture, discrimination and vehemence against women are recognised at the international view aim by the legally binding United Nations Convention to decline Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), which has repeatedly called on states – including the British government – to take action against the objectification of women.
“Similarly the UK-based End Violence Against Women coalition has called on the UK government to tackle the sexualisation of women and girls because it provides a conducive context for violence against women.
“Indeed, the sexual objectification of women and girls is linked to a range of harms –ranging from body image and self esteem issues to violence, sexist attitudes and racism.”
More recently, shadow minister for habitual health, Labour MP Dianne Abbot spoke out about the sexualisation of girls, and the damaging effect of internet porn on two-year-old people.
The circumstances which led to the tragic death of 13 year-old Chevonea Kendall-Bryan this year demonstrated the dark effect that this sexualisation is having upon young men and women.
“ ne'er before has girlhood been under such a continue assault – from ads, alcohol marketing, girls’ magazines, sexually explicit TV programmes and the unstated pornography that is regularly accessed in so many stripling’s bedrooms,” says the psychologist Steve Biddulph, author of new book ‘Raising Girls’.
It is hard to disagree that something gather ups to be done.
Rape Crisis groups have voiced their actualize of the EU report.
Fiona Neary, director of Rape Crisis Northern Ireland, said: “We need to get beyond the black and white debate of security review versus free speech.
“We need to start looking at what we earth-closet do rather than being paralysed by the internet.”
It remains to be seen exactly what and how the recommendations of the report will be implemented, but we can only hope that perhaps from now on we can move towards a far less harmful portrayal of women in all aspects of the media.
Materials taken from Womens Views on News
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