Comments on: Girl Power! (…and Responsibility) http://leicesterexchanges.com/2012/10/11/girl-power/ From one of the UK’s leading universities comes a new way to make real progress on some key issues that shape our society. Join some of Britain’s leading academics and highest-profile opinion formers as we seek answers that could change the way we live for the better. So, the floor is yours; will you make the most of it? Mon, 13 May 2013 09:19:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: Chris Williams http://leicesterexchanges.com/2012/10/11/girl-power/#comment-18559 Chris Williams Sat, 13 Oct 2012 08:59:35 +0000 http://leicesterexchanges.com/?p=2634#comment-18559 An educated girl is less likely to marry whilst still a child because her father is enlightened enough to value her education, or she has no father and her mother knows her daughter's education is essential for for her old age. It is true that mothers can strongly influence theirs sons which can change the next generation but we see in Britain, that this only extends to puberty for many boys. The fathers or father substitutes become the main influence. It they are lucky their mother resumes influence when they are in their 20s. In Britain, it is mothers, not fathers, who over sexualise their daughters. Women demonstrate a lower ability to resist peer pressure even than men. You only have to visit a theatre to see which gender has the true mobile phone obsessives who must be in communication with their peer group every second of the day. Then there is politicisation of over sexualised girls by campaigns like slut walk. It is your right to dress like a prostitute even at 15. Now the prostitutes have to wear smart cloths to stand out from the crowd. Not a bad thing you may say. What is interesting about this over sexualisation is that it has nothing to do with boys, although the boys don't always realise that. The girls dress up like tarts to go out with the girls not to pull boys. No wonder boys are confused. This is not a new phenomenon, it has been many years since you went to a dance to pull the girls. In parts of Scotland this was ritualised so that the girls who wanted a boy/man would wait outside for "a lift home". If Because I'm a Girl has some effect, however small, it can only be good. If Mumsnet can stop women over sexualising their girls then that will be less confusing for boys and men in general and so must be good. Not that I have ever had a problem with look but don't touch. That is the main thing that makes women attractive to the vast majority of men. Unfortunately, the few give the majority a bad name. An educated girl is less likely to marry whilst still a child because her father is enlightened enough to value her education, or she has no father and her mother knows her daughter’s education is essential for for her old age. It is true that mothers can strongly influence theirs sons which can change the next generation but we see in Britain, that this only extends to puberty for many boys. The fathers or father substitutes become the main influence. It they are lucky their mother resumes influence when they are in their 20s.

In Britain, it is mothers, not fathers, who over sexualise their daughters. Women demonstrate a lower ability to resist peer pressure even than men. You only have to visit a theatre to see which gender has the true mobile phone obsessives who must be in communication with their peer group every second of the day.

Then there is politicisation of over sexualised girls by campaigns like slut walk. It is your right to dress like a prostitute even at 15. Now the prostitutes have to wear smart cloths to stand out from the crowd. Not a bad thing you may say. What is interesting about this over sexualisation is that it has nothing to do with boys, although the boys don’t always realise that. The girls dress up like tarts to go out with the girls not to pull boys. No wonder boys are confused. This is not a new phenomenon, it has been many years since you went to a dance to pull the girls. In parts of Scotland this was ritualised so that the girls who wanted a boy/man would wait outside for “a lift home”.

If Because I’m a Girl has some effect, however small, it can only be good. If Mumsnet can stop women over sexualising their girls then that will be less confusing for boys and men in general and so must be good. Not that I have ever had a problem with look but don’t touch. That is the main thing that makes women attractive to the vast majority of men. Unfortunately, the few give the majority a bad name.

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