Speaking of gender roles

Thought you might enjoy this picture from the Adios barbie FB page: Go here to have a look

THIS is why we should talk about this stuff

Have a look at this article from Medical News Today: Need I say more??

Teen Girls Diagnosed With STI More Likely To Tell And Seek Treatment For Partners After Watching Video

So... SHineSA has lots of videos and resources iof you want to get started doing some basic EDUCATION: Give us a call or email on :

General enquiriesTel: (08) 8300 5300Email: info@shinesa.org.au

Oral Sex is the New Goodnight Kiss

I just started reading this. Go to this website and have a look. ShineSA has a copy in the library if you are interested.

Below is an excerpt -

"Some of the prettiest girls from the most successful families are prostituting. They are being targeted at their schools and at malls – places we consider safe. And, the predator is often an acquaintance. “The youngest girl I recruited for prostitution was 10. I didn’t care. I would just bring in all these stupid little girls,” explained Leigha, 15.

Of the high school girls he was prostituting, Luu Dang, 35, says, “White girls don’t really mind having sex with men for money. They’re not like Chinese girls. White girls only care about money”. Girls live in a culture where sexuality is tied to celebrity, status and money.

What happens to young girls who are conditioned to feel empowered only when they are the sexual center of attention? “When you see really hard solid men lose their shell, that’s really a powerful thing and it is all the time whatever kind of sex it is. I never knew I had so much power,” explains Rachael, 16.

“Both my girls crave the spotlight. They love being the center of attention,” explains Gwen, a biologist. “As a mother you really don’t want to think your kid can trade sex, but I knew [Rachael] was engaging in all kinds of sexual behaviors and guys would buy her clothes for sure. It’s interesting that she thought trading sex was a form of being powerful because to me it’s the ultimate in submission – selling your body.”

Here are some of my thoughts:

Suddenly coerecian and sex for favours seems a big deal because its MIDDLE CLASS WHITE GIRLS. However this crap has been going on for a long time for other less powerful groups.

Another thought is that this appears to be made as a warning to girls ( yet again) - dont let yourself get in trouble, dont be a victim etc etc. What I would like to see on top of this is the information about STOPPING THE MEN WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE. Its time to look at ways of changing the culture we live in that supports and allows this stuff. Why the hell do some men believe that forcing young girls to have sex is a good thing?? We need lots more work around this stuff.

Having said that - the DVD that comes with this resource is REALLY powerful and saddening. Get a copy yourself and have a look. Then make some comments.

More - 'Whats Happening to Our Girls'

Just in case my previous post didnt get you interested enough to check this book out of the Shine library ( or buy it yourselves). Here are a few more quotes.

"The number of teen girls who resort to self injury has increased so much that cutting has been labelled the new anorexia....While it is hard to know exactly how many girls are cutting themselves, because THEY DO SO IN SECRET, it is now estimated that 1 in 10 do so"

" Curious girls dont have to venture far to to learn more about self mutilation. There is plenty of material from the net. Here girls can read about the intimate details of celebrity self mutilators from Princess Diana to Courtney Love. If the don't know it already they'll discover how Christina Ricci used to burn herlelf with a cigarette and how Agelina Jolie., also a cutter, wore a shirt with her first husbands name written in her blood to thier wedding. Should girls log on to such sites as self-injury.net they will access to everything...."


WHY IS THIS HAPPENING? LETS ALL GET A BIT MORE KNOWLEDGABLE-LETS STOP THIS STUFF.
Lud

What's Happening to our Girls

What's Happening to our Girls - by Maggie Hamilton.

This book is really fantatstic. It is in the SHineSa library and I reckon we should all read it.

Here is a quote just from the introduction.

"The book starts with baby girls, because advetisers are now actively targeting babies. They know that at 6 months a baby is able to retain brand logos, and that the trademarked characters on babies clothing and thier environment will translate into sales from the age of 2 upwards.This early process of turning girls into consumers reduces them to little more thajn target markets and had a dramatic and detrimintal impact on thier aspirations, body image and sense of self".

I dont kinow about you but this frightens and angers me - please have a read.

Self Esteem Beauty

Another fantastic dove film. Please watch