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LequteMan
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In a parliamentary report presented in March 2012, former Sports Minister Chantal Jouanno voiced concern about the "hypersexualisation" of young girls, including "the sexualisation of their expressions, postures or clothes that are too precocious", he added that “the phenomenon is more and more present."
Eighteen months later, France's upper house of parliament has voted to outlawbeautycontests for girls under 16 years old in an attempt to halt the said "hypersexualisation". Defaulters risk 2 years in prison and a €30,000 (£25,000) fine.
UK’s The Guardian said the Sénat voted for the proposal on Wednesday after Jouanno introduced the ban as part of a bill ongenderequality.
"Don't let us allow our girls to believe from an early age that their only value is their looks," Joanno told senators. "Don't let us allow commercial interests to outweigh social interests.
"Lawmakers are not moralisers, but we have a duty to defend the superior interest of the child."
The ban on "Mini-Miss" pageants was opposed by Socialist senator Virginie Klès, who presented the gender equality bill, as well as the government's spokesperson and women's rights minister, Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, both of whom judged the penalties too harsh.
Vallaud-Belkacem tabled an amendment that would force pageant organisers to apply for official permission to stage them, but this was defeated.
The amended law will return to the lower house, the Assemblée Nationale, for approval.
