I have come to this post that the journalist Carme Chaparro has published for Yo Dona (El Mundo) and accuses a society that turns girls into women, from the moment they stop being babies. Carme refers to the story of a mother who, faced with complaints from the school that her daughter (seven years old) go to school without makeup, replied that the teachers should also stop painting ... As if it were the same, as if the work of every girl and / or boy was not (in addition to learning) to play and enjoy that childhood that at age 9 seems eternal, and at 20 we miss, knowing that the times of running, getting dirty, not worrying about almost everything, and being free will never return.
It is not a valid argument, since there are many activities that the little ones cannot do because they are inadequate or because they do not have the necessary skills to do so. For example, an extreme horror movie would be detrimental at 7, a child cannot climb Everest, and a 4 year old should not turn on the oven to make a cake. On the one hand we incapacitate them to enjoy childhood, on the other we demand an improper maturity: pack their own school backpack, ask for help if they are bullied at school, etc. In my opinion we must consider it very seriously. Valeria had already told us that hypersexualizing childhood is the preamble to the objectification of girls and boysToday we will give one more turn to this topic.
In an age when we can communicate with someone on the other side of the world, and read newspapers published in Hawaii, nur decision-making capacity seems to be progressively diminishing; and this is especially noticeable in women and / or girls. Our bodies are subjected: fashion dictates how we dress, advertising how big our breasts should be ...
This is also gender violence.
Eternally young, without blemishes on the skin and shaping the body at the service of the patriarchy ... the victories obtained decades ago are far behind. We can vote, study, we leave home to work and go to assemblies without male accompaniment; However, to the most striking forms of gender violence, a new one joins: much more discreet, much more subtle. Beauty is internal, they tell us; but only the one that is seen externally is valid.
In this post we will redound a little more on the idea of the objectification of girls, and We will also give ideas for you to accompany them in the process of growing. We may not be able to prevent interference, but the impact on their lives may be minimized. It may seem an exaggeration if I tell you that there is an interest in making women (even as children) objects of desire. Advertising is responsible for consolidating this perception, and not only because of the impossible sizes that the models wear, but also because of an identification with the product that is intended to be sold..
Girls following beauty models?
And do you know? In an attempt to show that there is a certain intention to hypersexualize girls, I will tell you that animated series are no longer innocent, that our little ones' favorite characters no longer have rounded shapes (but rather sensual), and that there are 'beauty centers' that - as if it were a game - promise fun to little girls who will be made up and who will be offered 'beauty treatments'.
I want to go back to the consequences of objectification: not only are girls going to want to resemble ideals of beauty, but thinness or hair treatments may also become part of the conversations between little friends or colleagues. Deep down, there is a perversion that we rarely hear about. Jean Kilbourne explains it to us in this video called “Killing us softly”: objectification justifies violence, and it occurs both in terms of gender and xenophobia (for example).
Protect girls.
We always say that communication is the foundation of any healthy family relationship, but what can we do? The active accompaniment and the constant presence by their side when they are small is decisive; but it will interest you to know that in the day to day, there are other little things, like:
- It is convenient that we take an interest in their world, their hobbies, their tastes; This is a sign of closeness, and makes it easier for them to perceive us as accessible.
- Content on television, or the Internet: if we visualize them together with them, we can expose our values, and help our sons and daughters to develop their critical sense.
- Real women are not like some of the dolls they know, so it is good that they discover different types.
- Respect for their way of being: acceptance offers security to little ones.
- Let them be girls: let them play freely without fear of being themselves.
- Our daughters don't need to compete with other girls to be recognized; facilitates relationships of companionship and equality.
Your example can also become a reference for girls, that deep down they want to have a harmonious development, can we help them?
Central Image - Do not be prey to the size