feminist news round-up 22.01.12
fashion models weigh 23 per cent less than the average woman
According to the January issue of PLUS Model magazine, the average fashion model twenty years ago weighed 8 per cent less than the average woman; today, she weighs 23 per cent less. And most runway models nowadays meet the Body Mass Index criteria for anorexia. Plus-size models have shrunk, too – the majority of plus-size models today are between a US size 6 and 14. For those of you playing at home, that’s between an Australian size 10 (!) and 18. You can read the article here.
twitter catching up to facebook amongst business women
An online survey has confirmed what we already knew – social networking is a popular marketing tool, especially for women. According to results from The Australian Women and Social Media Survey 2011, three out of four Australian business women use Facebook as a marketing tool, and 60 per cent of those have a Twitter account for their business. Of these women, 75 per cent of them spend over one hour on Facebook per day. Read more about the results here.
Push-up bra ad complaints dismissed
An outdoor Myer campaign featuring various advertisements for push-up bras has been deemed ‘reasonable’ by the Australian Standards Bureau (ASB) after a slew of complaints from the public. Complaints about the ads, which featured close-up images of women wearing push-up bras and slogans like ‘Go from A to C’ and ‘Double Standards’, included claims that they were ‘inappropriate’ and ‘degrading to women’. One complainant stated, ‘It is inappropriate for public viewing especially as there are many children and teenagers who will see this ad. I find it offensive to me and it degrades all women; depicted as sex objects.’ The ASB disagreed and ruled that no advertising standards were breached. Have you seen the ads? What do you think? Read more here.
big brother brazil may have broadcast sexual assault
It has emerged that controversial reality television show Big Brother Brazil may have broadcast a sexual assault last weekend. The footage, which has since been removed from the show’s website, allegedly showed a male contestant moving on top of an obviously intoxicated female contestant while she slept. She now believes she was raped, and the show has been criticised for standing by and watching it happen. A seven minute video of the incident has been turned over to police. You can read more about the incident here, and sign the online petition here.
8 year old girl spat on and called a whore
‘Eight year old girls can be such whores.’ At least, that’s what the ultra-conservative men in an Orthodox Israeli community believe. Chicago-born Naama Margolese, 8, dresses modestly for school. Just like her classmates at her Orthodox all girls’ school, Naama wears a uniform consisting of a long skirt, and a high-necked, long-sleeved shirt. Nevertheless, she is spat on and called a whore as she makes her way to school on foot– young girls have no place in schools; gender segregation and the employment of rock-throwing ‘modesty patrols’ is the only way to keep their beliefs in check. The saddest thing? While the Israeli government doesn’t condone the behaviour, they have all but turned a blind eye. You can read more here.
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