4 August 2010 - “Tell Us the Truth”. Girls Call for Honesty over Airbrushing
Singer Javine supports Girlguiding UK petition calling for
compulsory labelling to distinguish between airbrushed and natural
images
Young members of Girlguiding UK, the UK’s largest organisation
for girls and young women, are launching a petition to call upon
David Cameron to introduce compulsory labelling to distinguish
between airbrushed and natural images.
The girls and young women demand action from the Prime Minister
in order to ‘shape a generation of self-confident girls and young
women’. The petition follows on from Girlguiding UK’s 2009
research, the Girls Attitudes Survey, which demonstrated that 50%
of 16-21 year old girls would consider having surgery to change the
way they look and 42% of 11 to 16 year olds admitting to watching
what they ate or cutting down on certain foods to excess.
The petition is being launched during Fusion, a one day
performing arts spectacular, which is taking place at Harewood
House bringing together around 20,000 members of Girlguiding UK as
well as girls from across the world to celebrate the Centenary.
Girlguiding Member, Natalie Fontaine, said: “We each know from
our own experience that the airbrushed images that you see in
magazines and on advertising boards can really affect the self
confidence of girls and young women. Most of us have no idea how
significantly these pictures are altered and are shocked when they
realise that the images they have of celebrities and models are not
a reality.
“As members of the largest organisation for girls and young
women we think that it is really important to highlight how serious
this issue has become and demand action to protect all girls and
young women from these damaging and unrealistic pressures.”
Chief Guide, Liz Burnley CBE, said: “From the research we have
conducted and our everyday experiences working with girls and young
women, we know how profoundly they feel the pressure to conform to
a particular body image and how badly they can be affected by these
unobtainable ideals.
“We are proud to support the calls of our members who believe
that it is time that the Prime Minister addressed their concerns
and acted in the interests of girls and young women across the
country.”
Chief Executive of Beat, Susan Ringwood, said: “Young people
with eating disorders tell us that being surrounded everyday by
pictures of unnaturally ‘perfect’ bodies makes their own recovery
so much more difficult to achieve.
We know the difference it would make to all young people’s self
esteem and body confidence if they could be sure which of the
images they see are natural and true to life.
“We are committed to working with Girlguiding UK and others to
make this important call to action a reality.”
The petition is supported by singer Javine who said: “It is
great to see the members of Girlguiding UK calling for girls and
women to be shown more representative body images. Girls need to
learn to be confident with their bodies. They need to cherish
themselves from their heads to their tip toes, embracing both their
beauty and their flaws.
“Growing up is hard, and girls can often become influenced by
unrealistic pictures which depict how women should look, not how
they do. Such pictures can often destroy the confidence which
should be helping girls blossom into tomorrow’s leading women.”