Girls' body confidence - what do you think could improve it?

[KateMumsnet]

Hello everyone!

Lynne Featherstone, the Minister for Equalities, is chairing a Roundtable on Body Confidence at the House of Commons. She wants to get up to speed on the work that various independent groups are doing in this area, in order to champion them within government and get as much support for their work as possible.

One of the topics under consideration is sexualisation, and following our Let Girls Be Girls campaign we've been asked to come up with some proposals. We're going to push for the government to get behind our Lads' Mags campaign - but we also thought it was a good moment to ask for your thoughts more generally about body confidence issues and what, if anything, you'd like to see policy-makers doing.

So do please fire away - what else do you think could be done generally to improve the body confidence of young girls?

Interesting, Morningpaper. My experience is that there is always someone who will find a girl sexually attractive even if she has a beard and a pointy witch's hat, even if only because he might think he stands a chance of having sex with her. I don't think there's any real link between being found sexually desirable and having a good self-image.

alicatte - men would indeed be depressed and the current media image of what is a beautiful woman really is not beautiful at all. It is plastic, sanitized, airbrushed and unreal.

You are right. There absolutley is a sort of cloned image of female beauty on billboards, magazine covers and TV. In the main, it is aimed at women to sell them things - not actually aimed at or even atttractive to men at all. I barely notice these cloned images. They are everywhere like wallpaper - but I do still notice images of genuinely beautiful women.

No idea where this cloned image came from. I was going to say earlier that girls somehow need to be told by other older women what beauty really is in all its diversity. Maybe even some men explaining what they think is beautiful in a woman would help but I dont really see how that could be done in a way that countered the constant media barrage.

Male beauty is not portrayed the same way so I dont feel teenage boys face the same pressures except perhaps to just look cool.

This is an interesting, illuminating and depressing thread. It does remind me of my time at school. I think I must have been 12-13 before realising that as a girl you are damned if you do and damned if you don't when it comes to looks/ make-up/putting out etc. You are either a slag or frigid or if you don't fit in those categories a greb ( just for me assess!!)
Mind you the seeds for this are sown early on. Girls are expected to look nice be neat and have nice handwriting (I did none of these and my handwriting is terrible) while people just don't bother so much about boys appearance.
My ideas do echo others but here they are:

For physical education less focus on team games and more on individual improvement -'this means performance in terms of athletic activities like running,'dancing and also as part of a team - a greater emphasis on physicality.

NEVER letting pupils pick teams during PE. Keep that to the playground.

Amgreater awareness that people develop at different rates. In a group of 11 year old girls
there may be 6' tall busty amazons and 4'6" little ones as flat as pancakes.'expecting the same physical prowess from them both is
daft.

A end to to PE knickers and netball skits worn
compulsory.'what exactly is the point of them?nWhT is wrong with shorts/leggings/tracksuits?

Sensible shoes for girls which won't break whenever you try and run or play in them. I wore boys shoes from 10 onwards since they wore out so quick!

More on proper domestic science ( boys and girls). The people who I know that are good cooks and enjoy their food generally are also people with a good weight.

I would be very interested if there are people on Mumsnet who would be interested in starting a woman's magazine which focused on issues like current affairs, fitness, global issues rather than the sleb-based materialistic twaddle which currently fills the shelves.

Apologies for spelling but I am on a phone!

geeklove That kind of magazine would be wonderful, I would do anything I could to help with something like that.

Best post of the whole thread Geeklove

I would be interested in reading a magazine that focused on current affairs, fitness, global issues.

I have a magazine/online publishing background....how to raise funds through advertising and editorial content..

Geek....there's a thread in the feminist section about a magazine.....care to join and copy and paste your post??

Isn't magazine circulation falling hugely?

If someone can post me a link to the thread that would be useful.
Also I am thinkingas much of it being an e-zine although a physical magazine would be attractive.

Apart from the costs though there are a number of hurdles like initial investments, advertising and whether anyone outside of Mumsnet or other feminists will read it. Most people IME prefer not to be challenged about things in life even if they are not particuarly happy.

Well, Aloiuseg, that is a very good point. Although I never buy because they're all crap. And to make it online....phew!

Tell Lynne to read the <a class="break-all" href="http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100418065544/www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/Sexualisation-of-young-people.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sexualisation of Young People review which was comissioned by the last Government.

No need to reinent the wheel.

We must not let "sexualisation" become a meaningless buzz word."

This is about so much more than clothes and products which are for sale.

The new review being conducted by the Mother's Union is far too narrow.

This issue is about so much more.

Some extracts from the report:

Healthy sexuality is an important component of both physical and mental health. When based on mutual respect between consenting partners, sex fosters intimacy, bonding and
shared pleasure.

An important point. - It would be terrible if this issue was hijacked by moral/religious arguments.

Sexualisation is the imposition of adult sexuality on to children and young people before they are capable of dealing with it, mentally, emotionally or physically.

A dominant theme in magazines seems to be the need for girls to present themselves as sexually desirable in order to attract male
attention.

Women on TV are far more likely than their male counterparts to be provocatively dressed and scenes of violence against women
are increasingly common.

Music channels and videos across all genres have been found to sexualise and objectify women. Women are often shown in provocative and revealing clothing and are depicted as
being in a state of sexual readiness.

The shocking results of a recent survey
carried out by the NSPCC show that for many young people, violence within relationships is commonplace ? one in three teenage girls aged 13?17 had been subjected to unwanted
sexual acts while in a relationship, and one in four had suffered physical violence.

In gangs, rape and sexual assault is increasingly becoming the weapon of choice. Assaulting a girl is used not only to assert power over the girl herself, but also over those who associate with her.

There is growing evidence from educational and social scientists that girls are facing increasing sexism in the playground and classroom.

How are sexualised images and messages affecting the development of children and young people and influencing cultural norms?

Recommendations
Education and schools

1. All school staff to have training on
   gender equality. Specialist training should
   be given to those who teach Personal,
   Social, Health and Economic (PSHE)
   education and citizenship.

2. The Department for Children, Schools
   and Families (DCSF) to issue statutory
   guidance to schools to promote a ?whole
   school? approach to tackling gender
   inequality, sexual and sexist bullying and
   violence against women and girls.

3. References on sexualisation, gender
   stereotypes and pornography to be
   included in DCSF?s revised Sex and
   Relationships Education (SRE) guidance
   for schools. New SRE resource materials
   should be made available for teachers
   who work with children with special
   education needs and learning difficulties.

4. Schools to ensure that all incidents
   of sexual bullying are recorded and
   reported separately to other forms of
   bullying.

5. New practical ?How To? guidance on
   tackling sexualisation is disseminated to
   all schools.

6. Primary schools should make specific
   reference to the influence of the media
   on body image and personal identity
   within a new programme of study on
   ?Understanding Physical Development,
   Health and Wellbeing?.

7. A module on gender equality,
   sexualisation and sexist/sexual bullying
   be developed as part of the DCSF?s
   Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning
   (SEAL) programme.

8. Media literacy should be taught not
   only through PSHE education but also
   through English, drama, the arts, history
   and citizenship.

9. More investment in youth workers to
   enable them to work with young people
   outside of mainstream education around
   the issues of sexuality, sexist and sexual
   bullying and gender equality.

10. The UK Council for Child Internet
    Safety (UKCCIS) to further develop its
    current online resource centre where
    parents can access internet safety advice.

11. Digital literacy to be made a
    compulsory part of the national curriculum
    for children from the age of five.

12. The government should work with
    internet service providers to block
    access to pro-anorexia (?pro-ana?) and
    pro-bulimia (?pro-mia?) websites.

13. A schools campaign to be developed
    which promotes positive role models
    for young men and young women and
    challenges gender stereotypes.

14. Schools should encourage girls to
    value their bodies in terms of their physical
    ability. This should be linked to the work of
    the 2012 ?Get Set? education programme.

15. Local Authorities must be
    accountable for treating victims of child
    sexual abuse and ensure that specialist
    services receive adequate funding for
    the treatment of children who have
    been abused.

16. One-to-one confidential help
    in school/college from a trained
    professional such as a psychologist to be
    made available to every child and young
    person.

17. A national campaign to be launched
    to address the issue of teenage
    relationship abuse, including a specific
    pack for primary and secondary schools
    so that they can build on issues arising
    from the campaign.

18. A working group of high profile
    women in media together with academics
    should be set up to monitor and address
    gender inequality in the media.

19. The establishment of a media award
    that promotes diverse, aspirational and
    non-sexualised portrayals of young people.

20. The government to launch an
    online ?one-stop-shop? to allow the
    public to voice their concerns regarding
    irresponsible marketing which sexualises
    children with an onus on regulatory
    authorities to take action. The website
    could help inform future government
    policy by giving parents a forum to
    raise issues of concern regarding the
    sexualisation of young people.

21. Information on body image, selfesteem,
    eating disorders and e-safety
    to be included in the government?s
    proposed ?Positive Parenting? booklets
    for parents of older children.

22. The government should support
    the Adversing Standards Agency
    (ASA) to take steps to extend the
    existing regulatory standards to include
    commercial websites.

23. The introduction of a system of
    ratings symbols for photographs to
    show the extent to which they have
    been altered.
    This is particularly critical
    in magazines targeting teen and
    pre-teen audiences.

24. The content of outdoor
    advertisements to be vetted by local
    authorities as part of their gender
    equality duty to ensure that images
    and messages are not offensive on the
    grounds of gender.

25. Broadcasters are required to ensure
    that music videos featuring sexual posing
    or sexually suggestive lyrics are broadcast
    only after the ?watershed.?

26. The current gap in the regulatory
    protection provided by the Video
    Recordings Act 1984 to be closed by
    removing the general exemption for
    ?works concerned with music?.

27. Regulation of UK-based video on
    demand services to be strengthened to
    ensure that they do not allow children to
    access hardcore pornography.

28. Games consoles should be sold with
    parental controls already switched on.
    Purchasers can choose to ?unlock? the
    console if they wish to allow access to
    adult and online content.

29. This idea should be extended to
    ?child friendly? computers and mobile
    phones where adult content is filtered
    out by default.

30. The government to support the
    NSPCC in its work with manufacturers
    and retailers to encourage corporate
    responsibility with regard to sexualised
    merchandise. Guidelines should be
    issued for retailers following consultation
    with major clothing retailers and parents?
    groups.

31. The existing voluntary code for
    retailers regarding the placements of
    ?lads? mags? should be replaced by a
    mandatory code. ?Lads? mags? should be
    clearly marked as recommended for sale
    only to persons aged 15 and over.

32. The government overturns its
    decision to allow vacancies for jobs in
    the adult entertainment industry to be
    advertised by Jobcentre Plus.

33. A new academic periodical to be
    established and an annual conference
    series should be held focusing solely on
    the topic of sexualisation.

34. Funding be made available for
    research that will strengthen the current
    evidence base on sexualisation. This
    should include trend research into
    teenage partner violence and frequency
    of sexual bullying and abuse.

35. Clinical outcome research to be
    funded and supported to find the most
    effective ways to identify, assess and
    work with the perpetrators and victims
    of child sexual abuse.

36. A detailed examination of media
    literacy programmes should be carried
    out jointly by the DCSF, and the
    Department for Culture, Media and
    Sport (DCMS).

Thanks all for some brilliant suggestions. Do keep 'em coming if you have more to add - we'll continue to keep an eye on the thread.

Back (rather sooner than expected ;)) to let you know that we've highlighted the issue of sexual bullying in schools in our proposal to the Minister. We'll update you if there are further developments.

We'll also compile a list of all the suggestions on this thread - so if you've anything to add, now's the time to do it!

Abolish "traditional" girls school uniform. It has too many "porny" connotations.

Get rid of the skirts, socks and ties and let boys and girls wear a sports type kit all year round.

Smart, identifiable and no pervy frame of reference.

Following L'Oreal getting their misleading ads (featuring Julia Roberts and Christy Turlington) banned by ASA, I'd be really interested in the views of any mums who are concerned about airbrushed beauty adverts: what impact would you say these kind of idealistic adverts have on teenagers' confidence?

More info on the original story here: tinyurl.com/3j89k64

A negative influence. As a teenage girl, I might not have realised the photos were airbrushed in the first place and even if I did realise, I would not have known to what extent. Either way, I would have probably thought "wow, isn't my skin bad" - looking at their smooth and flawless skin. The other stuff they have removed (wrinkles for both women) is probably irrelevant to teenagers because they don't have wrinkles anyway.

Anyway, I do think that the answer to the original thread question lies with mothers. Mothers have to lead by example: I think that not leaving the house without makeup, ever, sets a bad example to a teenage girl. What is so wrong with anyone's face being shown bare?