20 October 2009
 
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Manufacturers, Retailers and Advertisers Take Note

The International Council of Women (ICW) has voted unanimously in support of the resolution on stopping the sexualisation of childhood through production, marketing and retailing of children’s products, announced the National Council of Women of New Zealand (NCWNZ).

“Achieving full and absolute endorsement of a policy at the ICW General Assembly is no easy feat,” said Elizabeth Bang, NCWNZ National President. “Usually at least one country will abstain, or vote in opposition. But this policy was so clear cut; the urgent need for collective action so obvious, that it flew threw with acclamation. We are delighted.”

Elizabeth Bang has today reported back from Johannesburg on the level of commitment shown by the ICW affiliated members to urge their governments to ban products and advertising materials that enable children to be seen as sexual objects.

“The UK and Australian delegations, in particular, have shown their strong determination to take action within their own countries, where the issue of sexualisation of children is highly relevant.”

NCWNZ will be dispatching resources to various National Councils of Women around the world, to assist in the ongoing collaborative campaign to boycott the sexualisation of childhood both locally and internationally.

The successful Cotton Off Our Kids campaign was launched by NCWNZ a few months ago and attracted groups with a representative number of half a million in New Zealand. The campaign also worked collaboratively with Australian based “Kids Free 2B Kids”, which was founded by Child Advocate Julie Gale.

 “It is imperative that our domestic focus on this issue continues. We need to test what protections are in place, identify the gaps in the system and take action to have these filled,” Elizabeth Bang said. “A formal compliant to the Advertising Standards Authority Board on Cotton On’s sexualising baby wear has already been lodged, the outcome of which will help determine whether New Zealand has the correct protections in place to stop the sexualisation of children.”
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