When Clare Short MP called the media out for the casual and consistently sexist messages it was broadcasting, she got caned not only in the media, but in Parliament itself.
This month the Short baton is being picked up by a coalition of women’s groups in Brighton & Hove who are ‘worrying their pretty little heads’ again about the issue of how women are portrayed in the media.
Spot the Sexism Month started yesterday, June 1, with people being invited to keep an eye out for any words or images that demean women in direct or indirect ways.
When found, you’re asked to take a snap and either upload it to: view: www.spotthesexismbrighton.co.uk or post it to social media using the hashtag #sexistpress.
Green MP for Brighton Pavilion, Caroline Lucas will be presenting a report based on the findings of the project to the Government’s Equalities and Media Minister, Maria Miller, MP in July.
Caroline said:
“Whether it’s the Sun’s embarrassingly regressive Page 3, the Daily Mail representing women as merely the sum of their ‘curves’ or ‘pins’, or rape cases being reported next to pictures of half-naked women.”
“The media constantly sends out damaging messages about women and girls.”
“By taking a sample month’s sexist media and advertising examples and presenting them to the Minister, we will urge her to take action to restrict objectifying images and challenge reporting which trivialises violence against women and girls, as well as asking the Culture, Media and Sport Committee to carry out a full inquiry into sexism across the media.”