Irish retailers have announced they plan to formulate a voluntary code of conduct to prevent the selling of provocative clothing to children.
Only a month ago Children's Minister Frances Fitzgerald noted, "In Ireland, there is neither a code of conduct for the retail of children's wear nor even basic guidelines.”
Now Retail Ireland, which represents Ireland’s leading retailers, is to follow the example of the British Retail Consortium (BRC), in drawing up their own set of rules.
Minister Fitzgerald welcomed the proposed voluntary code as major step in addressing this problem.
The guidelines will address the "style, sizing, labelling and marking of clothes for children 10 years and younger.”
Until now clothes such as padded bras, cropped tops and items with inappropriate and provocative slogans, including the playboy bunny, were freely available to girls as young as five, and even heeled shoes.
Stephen Lynam, spokesperson, Retail Ireland, said, "We've decided to begin an initiative where the best practice of responsible retailers in the area of children's clothing are drawn up to ensure parents, children, consumers and retailers are all on the same page and the minister's aims of protecting children and protecting childhood are met.”
The Irish retailers' code will be similar to one drawn up in the UK last year by the British Retail Consortium (BRC), and adopted by several British chains, including Marks & Spencer, Next, Debenhams, TK Maxx, Argos and Tesco.
Let Girls Be Girls campaign was launched in early 2010, on the ‘Mumsnet’ parents website, concerned that an increasingly sexualised culture was dripping ‘toxically’ into the lives of children.
The campaign aimed to curb the premature sexualisation of children by asking retailers to commit not to sell products that play upon, emphasise or exploit their sexuality.
Earlier this year, the campaign was extended to tackle so-called 'lads' mags', calling on newsagents and supermarkets not to display them in children's sight.
The mothers felt their objectives were achieved with the introduction of the voluntary code by retailers in the UK.
“It shows just what can be achieved when we get together to change things that seem, on the surface, to be 'just the way things are',” say the mothers on their website.
As one mother, Justine put it; “This is not about prudishness or hankering after some rose-tinted picture of childhood. It's about millions of parents, and many who aren't parents, knowing in their bones that there is something wrong with a society that tries to sell seven year old girls 4 inch heels, or t shirts emblazoned with ‘future porn star’.”
Another mother wrote how little girls are being groomed into passively accepting their place as objects in “our increasingly pornified culture.”
Another said that kids should be allowed to be kids, not be forced into ‘mini adulthood’ when they're far too young physically and emotionally.
On the website, the mothers state that premature sexualisation, introduces children to the world of adult sexuality, when elsewhere we are rightly encouraging them to resist the pressure to become sexually active at a young age; tells girls in particular that the most important quality they need is 'sexiness', and not cleverness, sportiness, application or ambition and, tells girls and boys that female sexuality is all about pleasing others.
Mumsnet cite several studies that illustrate the dangers in sexualisation of children.
In 2007, a study by the American Psychological Association found that possible ongoing effects of sexualisation include, low self-esteem, poor academic performance, depression, and eating disorders such as anorexia.
A 2008 study by Girlguiding UK and the Mental Health Foundation found that premature sexualisation and pressure to grow up too quickly are two "key influences" in the anxiety felt by girls. According to Dr Andrew McCulloch, Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation, “We are creating a generation under stress."
The most recent report, by Reg Bailey, the chief executive of the Mothers' Union, a Christian charity, published in June 2011, led to the UK retailers’ voluntary code and other measures to tackle the sexualisation and commercialisation of childhood.
Prime Minister Cameron accepted the proposals by Bailey but stopped short of introducing legislation if they were not voluntarily implemented by retailers and publishers within 18 months.
Bailey's report asks for government and business to work together to tackle the problem, for example, by ending the sale of inappropriately "sexy" clothing for young children.
There were also recommendations to reduce on-street advertising containing sexualised imagery near schools, moves to make it easier for parents to block adult and age-restricted material across all media, and a crackdown on companies paying children to promote their products in "peer-to-peer marketing.”