In fashion ads, on catwalks, in paper magazines or on social networks, in nightclub posters, in beauty contests ... It is increasingly common to see girls looking like women, but not of any kind of a woman but of a stereotyped and object woman. It's what happened with this photograph of a makeup girl for the Children's Carnival of Arrecife, which has raised controversy.
And, despite not belonging to any official institution but a designer from Lanzarote, its publication was extended through Facebook and the image of the seven-year-old girl could end up in court, but by the hand of its author and the parents of the little girl. Let's see why.
Nothing would have happened if no one had raised his voice against the photograph. It was the Rural Association of Women Tiemar, based in Lanzarote, which publicly rejected the "stereotyped girl-woman who show some posters of candidates for children's queen of the Carnival of Arrecife 2017". The girl appears with her face made up and a white-colored "snake" garment that partially covers her body.
The author of the image and fantasy that the girl will wear, Osvaldo Cabrera, took the picture with the aim of making this candidate known to the children's carnival contest and with the support of the parents: but the first thing I see is that not only the image of the child appears but also her name and surname, which makes the image diffusion, if possible, more daring and risky according to experts).
Because it is not just about spreading an image of a child on the internet that will end up without any control, it is that data of the girl is offered that could end up in the hands of anyone, including those who are sexually attracted to children, and These could try to contact the minors.
When I see these types of photographs I wonder, where is childhood? And it is that there is clearly a hypersexualization, children are made to grow ahead of time by dressing them as adults, by making them participate in hard competitions, by putting on heels, by shaving their eyebrows ... and they are offered a vision of adult life very biased, very stereotyped.
Sexist stereotypes that already seem to take root in our society and that in my opinion do nothing but be animated by images like these. Surely the girl agreed, although with seven years for her this is a simple game, a simple costume. But a disguise that reifies her and that she may want to continue wearing as an adult without considering other non-sexist models.
Positions faced: innocent or dangerous photo?
The point is that the Tiemar feminist association denounced in a statement that these stereotypes "also undeniably influence the postponement of women in society, their reification and the violence of all kinds they suffer. Therefore, they are not innocent or harmless. "
Both the designer and the parents of the little girl showed their surprise at the controversy and, consider Tiemar's reaction and criticism about the image unfair and disproportionate, because they understand that makeup and dress has been carried out in a Carnival context. So far they have already removed the photo, but they have talked to the Prosecutor’s Office they say they will denounce Tiemar because they believe that the right to honor of the girl and her parents has been violated.
For its part, the Tiemar association appealed to the laws on advertising, which they consider illegal "advertising that undermines the dignity of the person or violates the values and rights recognized in the Constitution, especially with regard to children, the youth and women. "
He also argued that "threatens the image of women associated with stereotyped behaviors that violate the fundamentals of our system contributing to generate the violence referred to in the Organic Law of Integral Protection Measures against Gender Violence" and the Law of Protection legal status of the minor, modification of the Civil Code and the Civil Procedure Law, which establishes the right of minors to honor, privacy and self-image.
As we see, two visions facing and totally opposite. The island authorities are unmarked by the controversy since the photograph is not official and they have proposed that they are developing the rules that will regulate the contest for children: if the styles presented are not suitable for children, they will be rejected. But when are they not suitable?
Here we would come back to opposing positions such as those of the feminist association and the parents or the designer. If a children's carnival is to promote imagination, fun, there are many costumes and very different, suitable. Is dressing up "miss" really funny or original? Or do you simply repeat stereotyped styles that do not favor equality? Shouldn't the whole society row in the same direction? Do we want our children not to be children? What kind of woman do we want our daughters to be?
