Late Tuesday, the French Senate voted in favor of a ban on beauty contests that judge children under the age of 16 on their physical appearance.
Holding such contests will be a criminal offense carrying a penalty of 30,000 euros ($40,000), reports the BBC, if the National Assembly passes the bill.
Senator Chantal Jouanno wrote a report titled “Against Hyper-Sexualisation: A New Fight For Equality,” and proposed the amendment on an equality bill to include the ban on child pageants.
“Let’s not let our daughters think from such a young age that they will be judged according to their appearance. Let’s not let commercial interest impact on social interest,” Jouanno told the Senate, according to The Local.
“Mini Miss” pageants have been controversial in France since a 2010 Vogue magazine featured a photo of a 10-year-old girl and two others dressed in a manner some called provocative. Vogue said the little girls in tight dresses with jewelry and make-up on was meant to portray a child’s dress-up-like-mom scene.
