Press release from OBJECT 29.05.09

New OBJECT report calls for urgent action to tackle sexualisation of women and girls


‘Joining up the Dots’ (pdf) a new report published today by OBJECT calls on the Government to take tough action to address the growing sexualisation of women in the media and popular culture. The report is timed to coincide with the final day of a Home Office consultation on a new cross-governmental strategy to end violence against women (1). ‘Joining up the dots’ draws together existing research as well as new evidence that women and girls are increasingly sexualised, stereotyped and objectified in the media and popular culture. The report finds that:
  • Women and girls are disproportionately sexualised across the media and popular culture
  • A driving factor behind this is the mainstreaming of the sex industries, in particular pornography, lap dancing and prostitution – which is leading to the ‘pornification of culture’ in which imagery of women and girls stemming from pornography is increasingly prevalent
  • The sexualisation of women and girls is linked to the promotion and reinforcement of sexist attitudes which underpin discrimination and violence against women, as well negative effects on individual health and well being
  • The UK Government is failing to meet numerous international and domestic human rights and gender equality obligations to address this issue and should use the opportunity of Violence Against Women strategies to rectify this
Commenting on the report Sandrine Levêque, Campaigns Manager at OBJECT said:

“We welcome growing cross-party commitment to an integrated governmental strategy to end violence against women (2). This is much-needed and long overdue. Our new report ‘Joining up the dots’ shows it is absolutely crucial that such strategies include tough action to prevent violence from happening in the first place. 

This work must involve taking decisive steps to address the growing sexualisation of women and girls in the media and popular culture, which acts as a ‘conducive context’ for gender-based violence (3). The UK is currently failing numerous international human rights and gender equality obligations to take action in this area.  This cannot continue if we are really serious about ending violence against women and saying goodbye to all practices and attitudes which contribute towards it”.

For further information or to arrange an interview please get in touch via email or on 07975 897 005.

Notes to editors
(1) Rt.Hon.Jacqui Smith MP, Home Secretary, announced a three month consultation into proposals for the new strategy ‘Together we can end violence against women’ on March 9th 2009; http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/cons-2009-vaw/

(2) The Conservative Party and Mayor of London have also published proposals for cross-governmental strategies to end violence against women Conservative Party (http://www.conservatives.com/News/Blogs/~/media/Files/Policy%20Documents/violence-against-women.ashx and http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/crime/vaw/)

(3) This has been highlighted by the End Violence Against Women coalition every year since campaigning began for an integrated strategy to end violence against women; http://www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk/
  		 

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