Member News
Prominent activists and feminist writers are in Portcullis House this afternoon for a panel discussion on body image.
The Liberal Democrats have organised the event to highlight the pressure felt by young women and girls as a result of idealised images of the female body used in advertising.
The party's Real Women campaign proposes that advertising companies together to form an agreement that images of people should not be digitally altered in adverts aimed at children, which the ASA defines as those under the age of 16.
"We must also empower children to develop the resilience they need by giving media literacy lessons in schools as part of the national curriculum, which include a component about body image," according to MP Jo Swinson.
She points to scientific evidence of the damaging effects of idealised media images on health and well-being.
Among the panellists at today's event in Parliament are Caryn Franklin, TV presenter and co-founder of All Walks Beyond the Catwalk campaign and Susie Orbach author of Fat is a Feminist Issue and Bodies: Big Ideas and convenor of AnyBody campaign.
They are joined by author Dr Helga Dittmar and the feminist blogger and journalist Laurie Penny.
Dods Parliamentary Communications Ltd