Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach agus leis an Aire as ucht a bheith anseo le haghaidh na díospóireachta tábhachtach seo. Tá an-áthas a bheith anseo ag tacú leis an rún thar a bheith tábhachtach. Molaim an Seanadóir van Turnhout agus na Seanadóirí ar fad atá tar éis tacú leis.

Sinn Féin supports the motion calling for a ban on child beauty pageants. These events, which have their origins in the United States, have evolved to the point where they can be considered to be a very worrying form of child exploitation, if not downright abuse. The first Little Miss America pageant was staged in the 1960s and has developed into an industry that generates €20 billion annually. The lady responsible for the first Irish child beauty pageant in 2013, Annette Williams of the Universal Royalty Beauty pageant, has described her pageants as being a fun, family time and stated they allow contestants to develop individuality, capability, poise and confidence.

There are valid reasons for all of us to be concerned about child pageant competitions as they raise serious issues related to the early sexualisation of very young girls. Dressing young girls in provocative and revealing clothing and altering their appearance with make-up, wigs and jewellery blurs the line between childhood and adulthood and turns children into miniature versions of adult women. The key issue is that adult women have agency. In other words, while there is much that is problematic about the fashion and beauty industry and the pressure to conform it brings to bear on men and especially women, adults are none the less free to make informed decisions. Children, on the other hand, have not yet reached a stage of emotional, intellectual or developmental maturity that allows them to make such decisions. The premature emphasis on appearance for small girls may be detrimental to their long-term mental well-being and development. For example, we know that an excessive emphasis on appearance is not good, even among adults, as it can lead to eating disorders, low self-esteem, a skewed view of one's worth as a human being and a distorted value system.

On child beauty pageants, David Carey states that "as a psychologist with an interest in children's development, I think over-emphasis on beauty and feminisation is counter-productive to the development of a girl's ability to integrate into society as a whole person rather than an object of beauty." A 2007 study by the American Psychological Association asserted that pageants teach young girls to see themselves as objects to be looked at and evaluated for their appearance.

We know that very young girls have a heightened awareness of body issues, to the extent that the British Journal of Psychology recently reported that half of all six year old children believe they are fat and half have been on a diet by the age of nine. The biggest wish of girls aged between 11 and 17 years is to be thinner. Not long ago, the idea of children being on diets and concerned about body image and looks would have bordered on the bizarre. There is little doubt that the very notion of childhood and what it means to be a child have changed dramatically over a short period.

In a society that places so much importance on physical attractiveness, girls internalise the message that looks and appearance are more important than virtually everything else. They are more important than being a good camogie player or fast runner or being kind and compassionate, funny or a good story teller. As responsible adults and legislators, we have a duty to do everything in our power to reverse this state of affairs. We must send a clear and strong message that our children are valuable in and of themselves. Childhood is not for sale to the fashion and cosmetics industries or unscrupulous adults with dubious intentions. Dressing children up in adult make-up and clothes robs them of their childhood and the time to grow and evolve, at their own pace, into caring and decent adults. As we all know, beauty is skin deep and not a prerequisite for a happy or well-lived life.

Sinn Féin is pleased to support the motion. We endorse the values and aspirations set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Táimid an-sásta go bhfuil tacaíocht leathan ag an ráiteas seo agus ag an díospóireacht anseo um thráthnóna sa Seanad. Táimid thar a bheith sásta tacú leis.